


Lumen

by TheUnkindledQueen



Category: Bloodborne (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Romance, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-08-23 13:17:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 67,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20243497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheUnkindledQueen/pseuds/TheUnkindledQueen
Summary: A woman finds her way into the Hunter's Nightmare. She is not a Hunter, but she still remains. For whatever reason.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> "Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word."
> 
> \- George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
> 
> "And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."
> 
> ― Roald Dahl

~O~

Tender hands cleaned the patient.

"Lady Maria..." came the groans from the tumorous, leathery mass of a head that bubbled with fluid, "Please, don't let me drown."

It wasn't Lady Maria who cleaned him, but Aleida; the doctor who still remained in the Nightmare having ventured too far within it for the passed several weeks. She cleaned them and made certain they were given proper attention when Lady Maria was absent. With the Healing Church having abandoned the research hall, all that remained of sane minds were herself and Saint Adeline, but the former Blood Saint too had been a victim of experimentation, leaving her bound to her chair.

_It's quiet today._

Aleida helped the patient stand from his bath. His body had shrunken to half of its former size; skin stretched tight over a terrible, bony form that looked as frail as paper. She reached for the white medical tunic and leather straps laid out in a chair beside the bath.

"Good. Now here..." she said, in a quiet voice. They often became agitated at the worst of times if there was shouting or any loud speaking. "Let me dress you."

The patient stood obediently still, shivering and head bubbling as she fitted the tunic over his thin, sickly form. He held himself, groaning and muttering words that Aleida didn't hear. Guiding him out of the room and into the hall, she watched as he ventured on to join several other patients.

Aleida sighed sympathetically, straightening the glasses on her nose before she returned to the room to clean up around the bath. Pausing at a mirror, she studied herself; the short black hair on her head had been messy due to sleeping on a bed of sheets, her eyes were sunken due to proper sleep. Well, it was difficult to sleep much in the Nightmare as most could attest.

She dressed as a man would; well, that was how she was often reminded, as she lived and breathed the task of a doctor. Most found her predilections to be strange, but that was always something she ignored.

Then, there was the little scar on her lip... Oh, Aleida remembered how she had that one. One of the patients had struck her in the face, cutting their nail on her lip.

She wrapped a dingy scarf she had set aside around her neck, straightened the tie and dress shirt beneath her black vest and made her way out of the room. In the distance, she could hear the aimless chattering of the patients below; most of them were harmless, but the ones who had attempted to hurt her were usually kept on the higher floors behind lock and key.

Humming quietly to herself, she ventured into a room where books were kept before gathering a few in her hands. She wandered out into the balcony that overlooked a Lumenflower garden before sitting down at the edge. Patients tended to the flowers and paid no mind to her presence. They only reacted when Lady Maria made her way down to them every so often from her clock tower. They adored her, after all.

Aleida had a small curved sword at her belt that she removed before setting it at her side. She rarely used it unless necessary; unlike the often missed Lady of the Astral Clocktower, she was far from skilled with it, but it protected her as need be.

She remembered it as a gift from her father who believed it was necessary as protection long before the days of her youth had darkened considerably. Aleida couldn't argue with him. After all, she had heard stories of the Hunt, the Scourge of the Beasts and creatures that lurked in the shadows. She had found her way here because of one of them.

_What was that creature?_

_No, mustn't think of it now._

The book was an interesting read about several methods of communication with the Great Ones and certainly a distraction from the unsettling images of that faceless being that had seized her in the night. Aleida had always known that the Healing Church attempted such things on people, but to see their notes here in person? Such a horrendous thing. She couldn't imagine the things done to these patients.

"Plip, plop, plip, plop..."

Aleida glanced over and found a patient kneeling nearby in front of a Lumenflower, tenderly pushing the dirt close to the plant and brushing the stray webs from its leaves. Such a careful, meticulous gesture from one so lost.

Then, she recalled the moment she'd been taken to the Nightmare and heard Lady Maria's voice echoing around her from the expansive hall.

_"Hm... A visitor? How unexpected..."_

_Aleida cast her gaze cautiously around the enormous hall, spotting the shapes of the patients as they moved toward her. She anticipated an attack from them, but they simply walked by without a single care in the world. Some of them were talking to themselves in streams of words that made no sense and held no true meaning._

_"You are no Hunter..."_

Aleida glanced toward a patient kneeling in a nearby pool. He dug around for something in the water and groaned, despondent.

"Has someone, anyone, seen my eyes?" he mumbled, "I'm afraid I've dropped them in a puddle. Everything is pale, now..."

Above them, Aleida caught movement at the corner of her eye. She glanced up and noticed the figure of a woman in the garb of a Hunter; perhaps it had been the familiar look of her appearance that intrigued the doctor. She tilted her head, made out the distinct, feathered cap, double-sided sword and cloak before the shape disappeared up a flight of stairs to not be seen.

"A curious matter indeed..."

Aleida lingered while reading her books for a little while longer before she looked up toward the door. She wondered how time passed in the Hunter's Nightmare and reached into her pocket for a small pocket watch; the hands had stopped and she tapped the watch a few times before sighing. Maybe it was affected in this realm of madness. But she didn't know. It was still such a strange place to her and she had no idea what to expect.

"Well, that's unfortunate," she said, disappointed.

She decided that she would visit Adeline in her room; walking down a flight of steps and narrowly missing a patient who rushed passed her with a screech into the shadows, she made her way into the room where the Saint had stayed.

The other woman had been bound to a chair with leather straps tightly wrapped around her chest, arms and legs. She too had the swollen, tumorous, leathery mass for a head as well. Still, she communicated with clarity and thought that the other patients did not. She had been friendly and welcoming to Aleida, despite the doctor being a strange presence.

"Oh! Who's there?" Adeline queried.

"It's me," Aleida assured her. "I thought I'd visit you for a little. It was much too quiet above, even with the patients and their conversations."

"Ah, I see," Adeline chuckled quietly, "It's good to hear a voice today. Lady Maria has been absent for some time. I'm certain she has her reasons, however."

"Yes." Aleida pulled up a chair closer to the Saint and sat down. "I've cleaned a few more patients today. They are content in their ways, despite their pain."

A small laugh from Adeline. "As they should be."

"And what of you?" Aleida asked, looking up at her now. She furrowed her brow sadly, knowing that Adeline was content, even when she asked, "Are you content with your experiments?"

"I am."

Aleida asked no more of her. If she was utterly at peace with what had happened to her, then she could not argue with it any further. Instead, she wanted to ask something else of the other woman, but felt herself hesitating. It seemed like a foolish question to ask.

"You miss her." Adeline said, before she could speak.

Aleida frowned a little. "Who?"

"Don't play coy," Adeline told her, voice suddenly alight with amusement. "I know you miss her company. She doesn't visit often, but those lingering glances you've granted her. Well, it's quite obvious."

"Honestly, how can you even see any glances - lingering or otherwise? You have that...thing on your head."

Adeline giggled a little, shifting in her seat. It strained the wood a little with a soft creak. "Oh! Well, I hadn't a clue, really. But you simply confessed it."

"You are the worst..."

"Well, it's easy to become enchanted by our dearest Lady. You're certainly not the first to fall sway to her charms," Adeline remarked. "But you cannot sit idle when you are here with us. You simply need to speak with her."

Aleida raised her eyebrows. She was skeptical of the suggestion. "Yes, I could simply wander above through her gardens."

"Yes, of course. I did before I was bound to this chair."

"You are different."

"How am I different?"

Aleida sighed and rose now, less eager to continue. "Honestly, if you simply intend to tease me so, I will take my leave." she said, embarrassed by the conversation now and wanting to end it immediately.

"Oh no, please!" Adeline insisted, with a small chuckle. She reached for her as much as her bound hands would allow for, long fingers clawing at the air. "I simply like to jest, think no harm of it. It's my nature, you understand. But you truly should talk with her. She is simpler to speak to than you might believe."

"Of that I'm certain..."

"Such little faith!" Adeline chuckled again.

Aleida thought about her words, but they were simply folly.

Lady Maria was special in many ways. She would not simply indulge a conversation with a mere doctor because Aleida herself desired it so. She surely had better things to concern herself with.

O

Aleida was in the room above Adeline's, scribbling down a few notes when she suddenly heard approaching footsteps. She tilted her head at the sound and simply assumed it had been one of the patients wandering aimlessly, but the noise reverberated loudly like the steps from a pair of boots.

Oh, it was Lady Maria.

She heard the door open below her, close and then Adeline's voice filled the air. The Saint certainly sounded happy to have her there.

"Ah! Lady Maria, is that you?" she said, "It is. I know your boots anywhere."

The accented voice of Maria spoke up now. "Ah, yes. You do, don't you?" she replied, evenly. "I've brought you something."

"What is - Oh! One of the Lumenflowers!" A sound of delight follow. "Yes, they are quite lovely today. The others have tended to them beautifully. Do you know who else would appreciate them?"

"Who?" Maria questioned.

"Aleida."

"The doctor?" Maria sounded intrigued, but it was only for a second. "What of her? She can simply visit them as she pleases. You, however, cannot as you are bound here to this place."

"Perhaps so. But there are...complications to such ideas."

"Oh?"

"If I may speak so freely, my Lady," Adeline continued, "I suspect that her lack of acting first is that...she fears you."

Aleida groaned quietly, hands going to her face. Oh, no. She was not going to do what Aleida had feared she would. She shook her head with another groan and cast her gaze above with a long-suffering sound before lowering her face and mumbling into her hands. "Oh merciful Gods, please tell me she isn't doing this..."

Maria hadn't responded to the Saint's words for a moment. When she did, her tone didn't change. "It is not my concern what others feel of me. What matters is they know where not to venture. She has satisfied my boundaries and nothing more."

A small laugh from Adeline. "Perhaps speak with her tomorrow anyway. She would welcome it."

"I feel as if you intend something mischievous."

"I wouldn't DREAM of it, Lady Maria." A little playful giggle followed, which surely suggested otherwise. "But I believe it would do to ease the monotony of the Nightmare, wouldn't it? It changes, yet it remains the same. But this doctor is such a rarity here. Why not indulge?"

"...Perhaps."

Aleida wanted to hide away. She wanted to bury herself deep in her piles of books and not climb out of them. How utterly embarrassing that Adeline would say such things to the other woman. Gods above, what would Maria say to her if she had any desire to speak with her? She was certain that she'd look at her like some sort of chattering fool.

"That makes me happy, my Lady."

"Hm."

She heard the sounds of their conversation for a few moments more - discussions of days long passed and events that Aleida knew nothing of - before the door to Adeline's room opened and Maria's footsteps eventually departed. Aleida tracked the steady movement as they seemed to go upstairs.

Toward her room.

She panicked now and jumped to her feet. "Oh! Oh Gods, no." she hissed, frantically under her breath. She wasn't ready for this.

Aleida took a spot in a makeshift bed and rolled onto her side, mere moments as the door opened and Maria stepped inside the room. The other woman glanced around for a few moments.

"Aleida?" she said.

She looked toward the woman lying on the bed, tilted her head with a thoughtful murmur before she left, closing the door behind her. Aleida listened for the sound of departing footsteps before she rolled onto her back with a disappointed groan. She brought her hands to her face.

"Ughhh, you are SUCH a coward." she muttered, to herself. "What are you doing?"

O

The following day, Aleida was studying samples of blood left behind in another room across from where she'd chosen to sleep. They were deemed to be different blessings from different Saints - much like Adeline. Aleida hadn't taken part in the art of Blood Transfusion as she was much too old fashioned from distant lands. But the Yharnam rituals were quite extraordinary, she had to admit. It was part of why she had ventured here to seek out new ways of healing.

Just then, a patient stepped into the room, bare feet pattering across the floor. She gasped and took her hand, feminine voice light with pleasure. The swollen head seemed to quiver with vibrant energy. "Come!" she gasped, "Come!"

Aleida gently pushed her aside with one hand. "Please. Not now. I'm in the middle of something. Whatever you need, I will tend to it later."

But the patient ignored her request, grabbed her arm with both hands and tugged her from her chair anyway. Aleida sighed impatiently, but was promptly dragged out of the room by the patient. She was brought up a flight of stairs and began to panic, thinking that the patient intended to take her to the higher floors where the more dangerous ones resided.

"Wait! I don't want to go up there!" she insisted.

"Lady Maria!" the patient chanted her name like a mantra, "Lady Maria, Lady Maria, Lady Maria. See her! See her, see her, see her."

Aleida's brows went up. "Oh, you intend to take me to her?"

"Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes..." the patient continued to chant.

"I see." Aleida managed a weak smile as she was brought before a set of enormous doors. She had never been here before. It would be an interesting experience, she assumed.

Once they were opened, she was welcomed by bright light and a garden ripe with beautiful Lumenflowers. This particular garden seemed more vibrant and the plants looked to be healthier; but what amazed her the most were the great, peculiar beings who wandered through it.

They were massive, yet slender, faceless creatures that towered far over her; their skin light bluish in color and their arms were long. Although having a humanoid stature, they looked to be severely deformed. Their heads were extremely large and misshapen, appearing to fold over itself and connect to their shoulders.

To the woman, they almost reminded her of the patients below. Could they have been a final result of what the Healing Church had intended for their human experiments? She found herself unable to tear her eyes away from such a sight; thought fortunately, the creatures didn't seem interested in her and just held their arms to the sky, as if in prayer.

"Fascinating!" she gasped.

She was urged forward now, but froze as one of the creatures appeared before her, blocking her path to the Clocktower. The patient holding her arm yelled up at it with determination.

"LADY MARIA!" she screeched.

The creature simply made its way over to join the others in the silent prayer to the skies without any concern for the two. They did nothing more and Aleida was relieved of that. Still, she had a new reason to be nervous now as she made her way into the Clocktower where Lady Maria was sitting.

The patient released Aleida's arm and made her way back outside to leave the two alone. Aleida rubbed the tenderness from her wrist and looked up toward the woman across from the great hall. Maria cradled her sword in her lap, her left leg crossed over her knee. She seemed relaxed where she sat, though Aleida hadn't seen much of her to assume what the other woman was thinking.

"Um...hello." she said, waving one hand. "You wanted me here?"

Maria raised her chin. "Come closer. I will not shout at you across the room."

Aleida approached her and stopped when she felt she was at a reasonable space between herself and the other woman. It did give her a chance to study Maria's appearance better. She was dressed like a fine noblewoman, but her attire had been altered for a Hunter. Aleida felt her attention drawn to the green, gemstone brooch on her cravat. What an odd thing for a Hunter to have and it looked as green and brilliant as the woman's eyes.

Maria studied her curiously, hands clasped together.

"Well? You wished to speak with me?" she questioned. She gestured to herself with one hand, a simple, yet somehow still grand gesture. "Here I am."

Aleida scratched the back of her neck briefly. "Ah, yes, of course." She felt her cheeks warm and felt utterly mortified when she recalled Adeline's discussion with the other woman, though Maria didn't seem to be bothered by it. Clearing her throat, she tried to think of a suitable conversation to start with. "I thought it would be appropriate given the circumstances of my presence here."

A small, amused sound from Maria. "You presume much."

Aleida looked horrified now. She held out two hands. "No, no!" she insisted, "I didn't mean to offend! I simply...thought it would be pleasant to have someone to talk to while we're both here."

"Hm." Maria seemed to accept that response. She glanced up at her now, those green eyes sharply focused on the doctor. "You are a doctor, yet you do not possess the skill for Blood Transfusions. What did you specialize in?"

"Well..." Aleida was a bit taken by how Maria wanted to know of her position, but it was pleasant to talk about it instead of dwell on the uncomfortable air between them. "I was observing a master on surgeries, disposal of infected corpses. Diseases. But I was still learning when I departed for Yharnam. What skills I do possess are elementary at best." She tilted her head. "That interests you, my Lady?"

"I simply wished to understand my newest arrival," Maria replied, as if she should have known that. She waved a dismissing hand in the air. "It's not often I receive a guest here with half of her wits about her and one who isn't a Hunter."

Aleida laughed a little. "Ah, of course."

Maria looked at her now with a change in her voice; it was subtle, but carried with it a curiosity that Aleida hadn't heard before. "How did you get here?"

Aleida looked confused by the question. "How do you mean, my Lady?"

"I mean..." Maria thought of her words carefully, which was an unusual change to her. "You clearly do not belong here in the Nightmare. You are a doctor from a faraway land, not associated with Yharnam or their ways of the blood. Yet here you are, pulled into this nightmare like a fly to the spider's web."

"Oh." Aleida shrugged her shoulders, failing to understand the relevance of this. "I was visiting an old friend at the time and I...um...I ventured into the Cathedral Ward. I was taken, by something horrific." She shut her eyes, shaking her head against the memory that lingered. "It brought me here."

"It had a reason to do so."

Aleida frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know what that reason could be."

"I...see." Maria didn't seem to believe her, but she did not persist on the matter.

The two were silent for a moment. Aleida watched a thoughtful look touch Maria's face before the woman seemed interested in the sword on her belt.

"You are trained in the sword. How unusual for a doctor." she said.

Aleida looked down at the sword and laughed nervously. Well, it was a conversation either way and it was easier talking with her the more they focused on anything than herself and how embarrassing she had felt right now.

"Oh! Yes, well..." she told her, drawing the weapon from its meager scabbard. "I had learned a few tricks. My father taught me. This sword is older than he is. I understand that I am like a child wielding a wooden toy compared to your skills, however..."

Strangely, Maria smiled now. "Show me."

"Show you?" Aleida suddenly blushed. "Um, now?"

"Yes. Now."

Aleida laughed uncomfortably now. "Well...I don't..." she began. When she noticed that Maria looked serious, she cleared her throat and held up the sword. "Very well. Again, I'm far from skilled."

Maria watched, leaning on one finger as Aleida showed her simple, rudimentary motions of her sword; such clumsy, half-heated gestures. It was like observing a young child at work attempting to impress a seasoned warrior. It wasn't different from when she herself was younger practicing in the courtyard of Cainhurst Castle. What a curious little doctor she was.

She rose from her chair now, approached Aleida and reached out one hand for her sword. The doctor stared at her, suddenly aware of their close proximity before she handed the weapon over.

Maria studied the blade, running her fingers across the hilt. It was far from a perfect weapon, but it was acceptable.

"Hm, your father gave this to you?" she asked.

Aleida nodded her head. "Yes."

"It's old. Quite old, at that," Maria told her, "It's a Whistling Blade. It is said that the song in the weapon causes great distress to the ears of a Beast." Her eyes met Aledia's surprised ones. "A Hunter's tool."

"Hunters?" Aleida looked confused. "My father wasn't a Hunter."

"He must have had family then. Or at the very least, retrieved this weapon through other means."

She gave the sword a few swings and thrusts quickly into the air before her. The sound the sword made in the air whistled strangely when she did; a loud, almost keening song. She raised her eyebrows and handed it back to Aleida by the hilt.

"Elegance." Aleida said, laughing sheepishly. "Well, that certainly isn't me. I don't see why my father handed me this blade."

"Perhaps he saw something in you that was suited to it."

Aleida sighed and glanced down at the sword briefly before she noticed Maria walking back a few paces. The former Hunter raised her chin.

"Shall we?" she questioned.

"Shall we, what?"

"We may speak by the blade," Maria told her, "I learned by the Beast Hunter Gehrman. Do you intend to learn from me?"

Aleida smiled a little. "Alright."

O

"Slow. Attack slow."

Maria moved with grace in her steps as she instructed Aleida with her sword. Slow movements, swords clinking together. Aleida's sword didn't whistle when she wielded it, so she was certain that something was wrong with the way she held it. But Maria had used it as if she was born to wield the bloody thing; perhaps she was just skilled with whatever weapon she picked up.

"Attack." Maria continued to instruct as their blades connected, "Slow. Again. Slow. Slowly... Good."

Aleida smiled at the praise. "Thank you."

"I haven't entertained a guest in some time," Lady Maria said, as they continued to train, "Especially one so very curious in her intentions."

Aleida laughed softly. "I'm not quite that curious, am I?"

"Indeed you are. You are here in the Nightmare. There is a reason for everything being taken here." Maria continued.

She thrust her sword out, but Aleida caught it and attempted to loosen the weapon from the woman. Of course, it was a foolish endeavor as she was promptly seized by her other arm and pulled up firmly against Maria's chest in a single, swift move. Her eyes widened and a bright red blush touched her cheeks.

Maria smiled down at her, tilted her head with a thoughtful sound before she released her. Aleida was flustered for a few moments before she cleared her throat, straightened her tie and raised her chin to maintain a semblance of pride about her.

"I will learn your secrets, sooner or later." Maria promised.

It wasn't carried with a threat of any kind. Aleida raised an eyebrow and straightened her glasses before she continued to train with her. She wasn't sure what that really meant or why they were actually training in the Nightmare, but the meeting between them was nice.

It didn't last, however; Maria bid her away when she was tired and as she left the Clocktower to sleep, the other woman took a seat in her great chair to rest herself. She also had her personal bedchambers, but finding sleep was difficult for her.

Her mind ventured unbidden to her younger years at Cainhurst Castle, when she had been unformed of the world. In a way, Aleida reminded her of that past.

When she had been so young and naive.

_Maria was in her chambers, listening to the sounds of training outside._

_She peered out the snow-covered window and found a few nobles talking while knights were training with swords nearby. She had joined them at a young age; after all, she had shown promise by the blade and despite the reservations among the other knights, she was accepted to train with them._

_Maria wandered to a dresser and gathered a necklace, studying it before she looked up, eyes widening when a noble stormed into her room, dragging a crying servant girl by her hair. Oh, she knew him and his behavior far too well; her constant, charming ape of a brother._

_"You! You sent this SLAVE GIRL into MY ROOM!" he spat, his cheeks flushed with rage. "I would have sent back her hands if not for mother!"_

_Maria glanced down at the girl, who was crying up at her. Her lip was bleeding and Maria's eyes darkened at the sight; her lips pursed only a fraction. The servant girl was sobbing, begging for forgiveness._

_"Forgive me, my Lady, I didn't mean to...!" she cried._

_Maria raised one hand, calmly. "Hush now. It's all right." she assured her. "Return to your chambers and I'll be with you shortly."_

_The servant girl staggered to her feet, held her cheek and made her way out of the room, still crying softly. Maria watched her go before she turned her focus to her brother now._

_"Why did you hit her?" she demanded, "She simply did what I commanded of her!"_

_"NO ONE is to enter my chamber without my permission!" her brother spat, thrusting a finger in her face, "You know this! Or need I break your slave girl's legs to remind her?"_

_Maria's face was inches from his now. "Need I remind you of the countless maidens you've brought to your chamber?" Her voice took on a razor's edge, that certainly held promise. "Or should I bring that to mother's attention? I'm certain she'll enjoy hearing of that."_

_Her brother's face reddened again and for a moment, she truly believed that he would fall dead from the strain. Given the monstrous nature of his ways, one could only wish for such._

_Instead, he took his leave, slamming the door hard behind him. Maria sighed, cast her gaze upwards before she finally ventured from her chamber to the servant girl's quarters. There were a few other servants tending to her at her bed and they looked up at the sight of the other woman. They seemed tense, as if Maria herself would do as her brother had done._

_"Go on." she said, bidding them away with a single gesture of her hand._

_They immediately departed upon her order, filing out of the chamber and leaving her alone with the woman. She had touched up her lip with a cloth and her eyes were flushed red from crying. The blood had no longer flowed, so the wound was surely not serious. Still, it had left a foul taste in Maria's mouth at the sight of it. She felt a clenching in her belly, as if someone had twisted a knife in it. She was calm, however and regarded the servant girl with sympathy._

_"I did not intend to anger him..." the servant girl quietly said._

_"Don't concern yourself for my brother. His problems are far too many."_

_Maria sat down beside her and plucked the cloth gently from her hand. She reached with her other, cupped her chin and lifted it in the dim light of the candles. Her lips pursed as she focused on cleaning her mouth of the blood and the servant girl lowered her eyes._

_"I'll speak to him again later," Maria promised. She certainly sounded like she would do much more._

_"Please, my Lady. Don't feel compelled to defend the honor of a slave... If such a thing exists."_

_Maria had paused in her attentions, frowning at her. "It was cruel what he had done. Such cruelty merits a severe reaction."_

_"Not for me. I'm...not worth it."_

_Maria sighed quietly, set the cloth down and lifted her chin toward her again. She lightly brushed a stray lock of brown hair behind her ear before leaning down and meeting her lips in a chaste kiss. The servant girl melted into the contact. She couldn't help it. Another gentle hand ran through her hair, perhaps to soothe her if just a little. She didn't know, nor complained for it._

_"Mm, I don't recall taking you to my bed a worthless gesture." Maria said, parting and raising an eyebrow._

_The other woman blushed now, chuckled and timidly lowered her head. "No, it certainly was not." she admitted._

_Maria seemed to consider something. There was a brief moment of hesitation before she spoke. "If I could make you more than a slave? Would you accept such a change?" she questioned._

_"Oh, I would openly accept, my Lady. The rest? They may not be so kind to your choice."_

_"They will accept my decision. I will make them see as I have before."_

_The other woman smiled just a little. "As you say, my Lady."_

Such a fool she had been. Lady Maria had been so quick to believe that they would change their ways; that they could see possibility and new paths for the future. But they hadn't and they never would. The nobles of Cainhurst were decadent and stuck in their old ways. None of them would change.

And it had cost the poor woman her life.

Sonja.

Her name was Sonja.

Maria had become aware of some of her oldest memories fading in time. She wasn't forgetting the sight of her face or the loveliness of her voice; time was long in the Nightmare and old memories were replaced with new horrors.

O

Aleida tried to sleep, but she thought of the strange creature that had taken her here to the Nightmare; the one with an enormous head and six-fingered arms that had snatched her from the ground. It felt as if it had stared at her, despite having no eyes to look at her with. It had been nearly invisible to her eyes, but she could still see it there before her.

She heard a whisper - albeit faint - in the back of her mind.

_"Curse the fiends, their children too. And their children, forever, true..."_

When she awoke, she had found herself at the doorway of the research hall, greeted by various patients who had been curious by her presence almost immediately. Aleida hadn't tried to harm them - she had been so taken by the sight and so utterly confused. They hadn't tried to harm her, but simply touched her robes, trilled a few streams of words and that was that.

She laid down flat on her back, crossed her hands in front of her and stared at the ceiling; a few things were left hanging from rope that looked like older tools used for surgeries and old curtains. They certainly didn't use the tools now in this age and Aleida thought that in the Nightmare, time hadn't moved forward.

Meanwhile, Maria was sleeping in her chair, dreaming of the day that she had lost that poor slave girl whom she had adored so much. She saw with it the memories and the torment she had suffered.

_"She will be helped, mother. This will guide her from her...curious predilections."_

_"If your sister prefers the taste of skirt to trousers, who am I to judge?"_

_"It is a slave girl she fawns over."_

_"Hm. A slave girl, you say? Well, that certainly will not do. There is an image we must maintain for the good of our family. Bring her to me."_

_Sonja was roughly awoken by seventeen nobles and ladies, all laughing as they carried her kicking and screaming from her bed. She struggled against their grips, but it was useless. They carried her down the corridors, laughing gleefully._

_"Time for justice, little slut!" one of them hissed, cackling._

_Maria had awoken from sleep and exited her chambers, dressed in a fine, decorated red robe. It had been difficult to sleep as of late, but such was how things were in the castle. She then heard the sound of Sonja's cries in the distance and quickly hurried down the corridors toward them - which lead to the courtyard outside where Sonja was being kept._

_Her eyes widened and she looked at her mother, who was wearing thick furs to keep warm. Sonja had been bound to a stone post and she was crying softly. Several of the nobles and ladies had surrounded her, their gazes hard and full of contempt._

_"What is the meaning of this?" Maria demanded, "Why has my servant girl been taken?"_

_Her mother raised her green, cold gaze toward her now. "Perhaps you can tell us?"_

_Maria looked at Sonja, who continued to cry. Her brother was there and she knew he had something to do with it. She knew of his cruelties._

_Sonja met her gaze now and she murmured something. Maria could read her lips._

_NOT FOR ME._

_Her brother reached into Sonja's clothes when it seemed as if he noticed something. He pulled out a brooch that fit perfectly in his palm - it was shaped like a flower with a rather large, green gemstone. He thrust it into Sonja's face and she recoiled away, grimacing._

_"So, we're a whore and a thief, are we?" he snarled._

_"N-No!" Sonja groaned, shaking her head. She refused to look at him. "It was a gift! I saved all my coin for it!"_

_Maria's mother chuckled, amused. She took delight in the idea more than her son. "And why would you save your meager earnings on something so elegant? Do you think a little trinket would make you feel prettier?"_

_"No, my Lady..."_

_"Then tell me..." Maria's mother approached now and knelt down before her, cupping her chin and jerking her head up to meet her sharp, green eyes. "What would a slave need such a thing for?" She tilted her head and her grin was venomous now. "Perhaps to give to my daughter?"_

_Maria's eyes widened and for a split second, Sonja looked at her, then back to the older woman. "N-No, my Lady." It was clearly a lie. "My mother adores flowers. I simply wanted...t-to give her a gift before she passed."_

_Maria was stunned by the lie._

_She was protecting her._

_"Hm. Such a filthy little liar you are." her mother hissed, jerking her hand away. Her spindly fingers and long nails had cut Sonja's cheek from the force. "Still, it was amusing to watch. You truly believed that you could change? Become one of us?"_

_"The fault is clearly mine, mother." Maria struggled to maintain her clarity with her words and spoke with forced calm. "I took advantage of her. She only fawned for me because it was my will."_

_"Mm, I know, my dear," her mother replied, turning and patting her shoulders gently. "You never could resist a cute, dainty little thing, could you?" She waved a dismissing hand. "I don't blame you for that. It's in your nature as it would be the cat to the mouse."_

_The touch was intended to be maternal, but to Maria, it was cold as the icy wind around them. She could feel the grins around them and the frigid stares of the nobles searing holes into her back. It was like being circled by a pack of Beasts._

_"And that is why she must die tonight."_

_Maria's eyes snapped wide in horror as her brother drew his sword at the words; he brought the blade to Sonja's neck, and all it would take was one clean cut to open her and spill her blood. But fear was long gone in Sonja's eyes now. She closed her eyes now and whispered:_

_"My Lady, this is not your fault..."_

_He forced her head back with one fist in her hair and sliced her throat in one clean swipe._

_"NO!" Maria shouted, quickly rushing to her and clasping a hand to her throat._

_The others watched with a mixture of confusion and disgust. Her mother sighed, as if disappointed more than ashamed of Maria's behavior. She turned to the watchers and smiled._

_"Ah, don't let this little silly spectacle taint your view of my daughter," she said, "She is still young. She will learn eventually what the reality of our lives mean." She glanced down at the pool of crimson that formed beneath Sonja's body. "Such a shame, really. The poor girl really did know how to clean the foyer well."_

_A few mocking chuckles around her - the nobles and ladies seemed amused by the cruel response._

_Maria was struggling to keep Sonja's blood from flowing, shakily holding her hand to her neck. Sonja choked, her body twitching and blood pouring from her mouth. She gurgled once, met Maria's eyes and somehow managed to smile through blood-stained teeth._

_"...M-My Lady..." she gasped. "I..."_

_"Shh...don't talk," Maria whispered, struggling to keep her voice steady. Tears brimmed in her eyes. "Save your voice. Just look at me. Don't look at them. Only me."_

_Sonja choked out again and her eyes slowly began to close. "I would have..." Her voice breathed out of her so softly, like a ghost._

_"What?" Maria leaned closer to hear her._

_"...Yes... My answer would have been..." Her eyes dimmed. "...yes..." Sonja whispered so softly, it was barely heard._

_Maria stared at her, anguished. She held her hand at her throat, moments as Sonja's head slumped forward lifelessly._

_Several long, agonizing minutes ticked by and Maria stared down at her blood-drenched hands with horror._

_"Such a pity." her mother said, disdainfully._

O

Maria's stoic gaze overlooked the woman below.

Aleida had been interested in helping a patient to his wheelchair. Unlike the faceless beings, this particular man was wearing a masked shaped like the head of a bird. He was one of the Huntsmen who was bound to his chair, but he didn't seem to be completely gone just yet.

"...You've done well today!" Aleida was saying. "I'm glad to see your feet haven't changed much since."

"Ah, thank you, Aleida." the man murmured. "It's inevitable, I'm afraid. But you do me a kindness and make my short time comfortable."

Aleida smiled warmly. "Of course. It's the least I can do."

She helped him into his wheelchair and pushed him slowly through the research hall.

"So...what would it be today?" she asked.

"Hmm, I'm thinking second floor balcony. The view there before the rising sun is spectacular."

Aleida chuckled. "As you wish."

She pushed the wheelchair-bound man toward a door that would lead to the elevator. It would bring them both to the next floor and the balcony that he wanted.

"Don't fawn over the slaves, Maria. It's not becoming."

Maria recalled her mother's words with contempt.

She didn't care to think of it any more. Instead, she saw fit to observe the two from the Lumenflower Garden nearest the Clocktower. Maria had a good view from her place, watching below as Aleida seemed intent to tell the wheelchair-bound man a story.

It must have been particularly interesting to him; he gasped, his hands going through his head and Aleida grinned, nodding her own. She must have been sharing with him something extraordinary, as he kicked his legs in his chair and laughed.

Maria tilted her head when she saw Aleida stare quizzically, then the younger woman smiled. It was different from her usual smiles; she looked content by the amusement of the man. It was such a sweet thing for her to be so caring for the ailing wards of the church.

It was a foolish endeavor and perhaps she even knew that, but maybe it gave her a purpose in the Nightmare. Such a thing was necessary at times.

She didn't see the girl again for another week. Aleida went about her business of keeping herself occupied and didn't persist on the lack of attention either. Maria could appreciate and respect that.

She knew her place.


	2. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending of this fic was inspired by the song "Waiting in Vain" by Annie Lennox.

~O~

Aleida walked through the research hall, several books held in her arms. She swayed a few times, almost losing her balance as she tried to carry them to her room. Finding new things to read was a good way to pass the time here in the Nightmare and there was much of that at her disposal. She hadn't known exactly what called her to such a dreary place, or why that...horrifying thing had taken hold of her, but she would ease the strain of it with some minor distractions.

"Okay..." she said, to herself, "'Sacred Adage', 'Sculpture and Aesthetics', the 'Toils of Blood'..."

She stumbled and a few books fell from her hand, plummeting to the first floor where Maria just happened to be walking by. Aleida's eyes widened and she leaned over as far as she could to shout a warning.

"Ah! Lady Maria!" Aleida yelled down.

Maria glanced up and calmly caught one book in her right hand, then another in her left and finally, several more as they piled up neatly in her hands. She glanced up at Aleida with an impatient frown and the other woman had tried to hide herself behind the railing.

"I see you hiding there," Maria said, "Come out."

Aleida rose from behind the railing with an embarrassed smile on her face. "Forgive me, Lady Maria. I didn't intend to carry so many. But I just found my share of interesting reads and I just couldn't decide what to choose."

"Hm." Maria glanced down at the books in her hands. "Let me help you with these."

"Ah! Thank you, my Lady."

The two women carried the books toward Aleida's room. Maria wasn't certain what compelled her to talk to Aleida that morning or even seek her out for it. Perhaps she had been bored? Perhaps it was just a fleeting whim? Still, her visitor was a rarity in the Nightmare and she couldn't help herself, really. She wanted to know more of her and ease the monotony of the Nightmare.

"How is your patient? The Beast-Cursed man in the chair?" she questioned.

Aleida shrugged her shoulders. "He does well for now. He will fall to his affliction in time. I'm learning much about it in my research."

"You make his final moments comfortable."

"Yes."

It seemed like an honorable endeavor. Maria herself had done such things for the patients of the Healing Church long ago; she had been the comforting voice for them and watched over this place before Aleida had stepped through it. It had served as a change from her days of slaughter and ease the strain it had put on her conscience. Such a strain it had been.

She didn't want to think about that.

Once they were inside Aleida's room, Maria looked surprised when she noticed how clean it was; Aleida had spent quite a bit of time tending to it and maintaining her place. It seemed as new and well-kept as the day it had been established by the Healing Church. Though she couldn't imagine there was much else for her to do besides clean and tend to the patients.

"I see that you've tended to this room nicely." Maria observed, setting the books down onto a desk. Then, she paused, tilted her head at one of the titles that had caught her interest.

"Yes, I have," Aleida replied, with a small chuckle. She didn't notice Maria taking one of the books she'd chosen and page through it. "I find that cleaning things helps clear my thoughts a little at times. It's obvious I've had much on my mind as of late."

"Poetry?"

Aleida turned now, suddenly embarrassed by the sight of Maria looking at a book she'd chosen - "Poetry and Verse. Volume Five". She laughed weakly and plucked the book from the other woman's hands.

"Ah, yes," she said, "I find them delightful. Poems, I mean. I read them quite a bit when I was a younger lady."

Maria's lips twitched in an urge to smile; she was somehow reminded of Sonja, who read poems for her when she was young. Such things were often reserved for dithering young ladies, but there were many that Maria found interesting. They came from such primal places; corners of a person's most intimate thoughts that could never be shared aloud.

Maria handed the book back to her.

"Well, indulge in them if you must," she replied.

O

_Sonja scrubbed the floors of the vast entrance hall of the castle._

_She brushed the soaked, tattered cloth back and forth on the glistening stone before wincing sharply, pulling back and glancing down at the welts that had formed on her palms and fingers. She had been at the cleaning for a bit and hadn't realized how long it had been. A few approaching footsteps and Sonja looked up at the sight of Maria and her mother standing there._

_Maria's mother looked around, impressed by the cleanliness of the floor. "My, have you cleaned this entire hall yourself?" she asked, gesturing around her with two hands._

_Sonja looked up at her cautiously. "...Yes."_

_"Hm. She's quite the hard worker, isn't she?" Maria's mother said, pleased, speaking surreptitiously to her daughter beside her. "Perhaps she could be better useful in the chambers."_

_Maria said nothing on the matter._

_Her mother looked down at Sonja with a smile. "You are lucky today. Do you know why?"_

_Sonja did not dare answer. It felt like a trap._

_"Because you will have the pleasure of working for my daughter during the day." Maria's mother explained. "You won't need to be around these fools." She gestured behind her to the other workers, who toiled with great exhaustion outside. "You seem to take your job seriously enough and that's the kind of dedication we need. But first, you must be cleaned up."_

_She had eyed Sonja's ragged condition with a disapproving sound._

_Maria met Sonja's eyes and the servant girl timidly held her gaze for a few moments more before she looked away toward the statue nearest her. She didn't seem like she would argue with her mother._

_In the days that went by, Sonja followed Maria around to do whatever she had asked of her. Sonja had stayed quiet the entire time; she only answered "yes, my Lady" or "as you wish" when Maria would give her a command. Cautious, unsettled by anything around her, yet devoted to her duty as need be._

_A perfectly prepared servant._

_One morning, Maria was eating alone at the grand table. She glanced to the corner of her eye and found Sonja standing still, her eyes lowered and hands crossed in front of her, at the ready for any command that she might have._

_"Are you hungry?" she asked._

_Sonja's head snapped up in surprise for a few seconds. "Yes, my Lady." she admitted, with a small, hopeful smile._

_"I take it you haven't eaten." Maria pushed her plate in her direction. "Sit. Eat the rest of my food. I have no desire for it."_

_Sonja didn't move and it was the first time she'd hesitated on carrying out an order by Maria. She glanced at the delicious-looking meat on the plate, but seemed uncertain to indulge. She couldn't help but lick her lips. It had been all day since she had anything to eat. She was starving._

_But Maria asked her to sit at the table? She was forbidden to do anything of the sort._

_Maria sighed, stared upwards. "I don't want it to go to waste. Just sit down and eat. I permit it."_

_It took another moment of hesitation before Sonja approached and slowly sank into the comfortable chair. She felt a flutter in her chest and she couldn't help but nervously look around as if the Gods themselves would smite her for such an action. Then, she looked down at the food, carefully picked up the fork and began to eat._

Maria walked through the garden, the patients huddling nearby and talking excitedly. She bent down, studied one of the Lumenflowers with a small smile on her face. The patient was rubbing his hands together, delighted to show her his fine work.

"Good. They've blossomed nicely." she told him.

He seemed happy; the little high cry and loud clapping of his hands certainly suggested this. She looked beyond him when she noticed Aleida wandering through the garden as well. The younger woman was pushing the wheelchair-bound man through the Lumenflowers so that he could enjoy them as well. He couldn't see, but he could smell them in the air.

"Ahh, they smell wonderful," he sighed. "Describe them to me, please."

Aleida looked down at them before running her fingertips over one. "They have colors of gold and white. The petals are glittering, like the surface of the water under the full moon."

"Hm, you paint quite the picture."

"Ah, it was the poetry. It's inspiring."

He chuckled softly, then he was wracked with a fit of coughs that caused Aleida to stop pushing the wheelchair and kneel down in front of him.

Maria watched the sight silently. It was so very curious how Aleida handled the woeful of the Nightmare; she was kind, caring and unlike most who had come here seeking things they had no business seeking. But she knew that the Nightmare would bring certain individuals here and in a way, that implied that Aleida had done something that had been worthy of punishment.

"Alright...take a deep breath..." Aleida encouraged, "That's it... Slowly..."

He took her instruction; slow, deep, relaxed breaths as he held a hand at his chest. When it seemed as if he was calmed for the moment, he smiled at Aleida and she smiled back.

"Better?" she asked.

"Yes. Thank you."

"You're welcome. We can return inside if you wish. If you'd like it, I can bring you some books."

"I'd like that."

Later that day, Aleida walked into a room with a few books under her arms that she'd chosen for her patient. The room was where the wheelchair-bound man was being kept and comfortable enough for him. She opened the door.

"Good day!" she greeted. "I have - "

A loud, high, fierce snarl chilled her blood and her eyes opened, widening in horror at the sight of him having fallen from his wheelchair. He was crawling toward her, teeth shining with his blood and saliva. He had somehow dislodged his mask, revealing the hair that had grown around his cheeks, blood-red eyes and ears. He looked at her like a starved animal.

"No...!" Aleida gasped, shaking her head rapidly.

Her fingers reached for her sword, but she hesitated, frozen where she stood.

"No, please!" Aleida begged, backing up further. Her voice shook and broken, sorrowful sounds escaped her.

Then, she looked up in surprise as Maria stepped into the room, face full of firm resolve. She walked up to the crawling man without a single word, reached for the long-barreled, reddish pistol at her side; she pressed the barrel against his forehead, glancing only briefly at Aleida before squeezing the trigger.

The gunshot echoed loudly through the research hall.

Aleida watched, hand at her mouth as the man slumped lifelessly to the floor in a pool of his blood. He looked like a broken, lifeless marionette without strings as he laid there. Maria sighed softly and turned to face her. She seemed to take no satisfaction in what had to be done.

"I don't blame you," she said, "The Nightmare held him, and now, he is free. You must understand what needs to be done."

Aleida stared at her with anguish, then looked toward the dead, Beast-ridden man. She said nothing.

Maria departed without another word.

O

_Maria was training that morning._

_Sonja watched, holding a bucket of ice-cold water and a scoop when her Mistress would request it. Several other knights had been training her; she moved with such grace and precision that Sonja caught herself staring at the sight. She was taken by the fluidity of the way she swung her swords, the way her body was caught in the dance of the fight._

_She flicked her gaze down and noticed a few other servants rush to their masters upon command. One of them was nicknamed Pig, even though Sonja knew her as Anna from the carriage that brought them to the castle. Her master was a cruel noble who liked to treat her more like an animal than anything else. Anna was kind and often shared her meager rations with her when she could._

_Fortunately for Sonja, Maria was different to most of them. She didn't hit her, push her or make her perform embarrassing tasks for her. She simply called for her when she needed something brought, needed her horse tended to, or anything else not particularly cruel. She also made certain that no one else would grant her the abuse that most of the others received._

_That alone was peculiar, but Sonja wasn't going to offer complaint on it. She was comfortable, more so than most. She would take her blessings wherever they would come in this life of servitude._

_"You."_

_Sonja looked up when she noticed Maria taking a moment to catch her breath. She quickly made her way to her side at the simple request and held up the bucket for her to drink. Maria ran a hand through her hair and took a drink from the scoop before setting it back into the bucket. The sight made Sonja's heart skip a beat, and she didn't realize how flustered she was._

_"Thank you." she said._

_Sonja smiled and lowered her eyes. "Of course, my Lady."_

_There was a loud snapping of a whip and the two looked over toward a noble, who had been using a whip to strike one of the slaves with it. Maria furrowed her brow and Sonja looked away, trying to ignore the cries of pain and the snapping of the whip against flesh._

_"Come. Let's go inside. I'm finished for today."_

_The two walked back into the castle._

_"What is your name?" Maria asked her._

_"My name is Sonja." the other woman told her._

_"I see. I didn't ask before."_

_Sonja had never been asked for her name before._

O

_Sonja struggled to steady herself on the great ladder in the library that day._

_She grunted, reaching up to shelve a book before catching one in an improper place.. "'Ah, Tales of Bloody Glory'..." she murmured, to herself, "What are you doing there? I'm going to put you where you belong."_

_She leaned too far forward and gave a cry, clutching the edges of the shelf for balance. Eyes widening, she looked down at the distance between her and the floor. It wouldn't be enough to kill her if she had fallen, but possibly enough to seriously hurt. The ladder was old and begun splintering beneath her weight._

_"Oh, by the Gods..." Sonja moaned._

_She swayed again, caught the end of the ladder before falling backwards with a yell. Fortunately, she was able to soften her landing with the curtains by gripping them and sliding down the length of the velvet, mere moments as Maria walked into the library, stunned by the sight._

_"Sonja!" Maria gasped._

_"Oh! Oh, my Lady, forgive me!" Sonja begged, almost hysterical at the fear of possible punishment. She was already struggling to her feet and turning around. "I didn't mean to - "_

_Maria furrowed her brow, shocked by the sight of the woman's gown having been ripped from her fall, exposing the creamy skin of her naked back to her. But that wasn't what stunned her the most; it was the sight of gruesome whip scars that formed a hideous trail from her shoulders to the base of her spine. The woman had endured her share of violent punishment, it seemed._

_Sonja winced, touching the ripped gown with dismay._

_"It-It was an accident." she said, flinching when Maria eventually approached her and anticipating being struck. "I was... I was organizing the books and I lost my balance." She began to babble nervously now when that punishment didn't come. "I-I didn't mean to - "_

_Maria sighed, raising one hand in front of her to silence her. She caught the flinch, hesitated before she lowered her hand now. "It's all right." she finally said. "Let's just find you something new to wear. It wouldn't do to have you work in rags such as these."_

_Sonja smiled a little, appreciative of the gesture. "Thank you, my Lady."_

_Maria wasn't certain why, but when she'd seen the gruesome marks, she had asked Sonja about it without thinking as they walked through the corridors together. It had bothered her for reasons she didn't understand._

_"Where did you get those?"_

_Sonja was surprised by the question. "I'm sorry?"_

_"Your whip marks." Maria said, gesturing to her back with one finger. "How did that come to pass?"_

_Sonja cleared her throat and made a small sound. Her face didn't betray anything other than deep thought. "I don't remember much about it. I was taken into slavery at a young age."_

_"How young?"_

_"I was eight, my Lady."_

_Eight. Such a young age to be placed in servitude, but Maria knew that such things happened in the world. Yet, the possibility of her being whipped so brutally as a child filled her belly with ice. What sort of beast whips a child?_

_Oh, she knew very well._

_"Tell me more." Maria said._

_"My previous master was a nobleman of a farming estate who bought me when I was a child," Sonja explained, while they walked down the corridors. "I was made to perform simple duties in the kitchens at first, then as I got older, I was made to sing songs at dinner parties."_

_"You sing?" Maria was almost amused._

_An embarrassed laugh from Sonja. "Well enough for myself, I suppose."_

_"I see."_

_Sonja was given various options for her new state of dress, all that which Maria supervised. When she was given the first option - a red servant's gown with a Cainhurst brand over the chest, Maria simply curled her upper lip with disgust._

_Another was a robin's egg-colored gown and Maria simply shook her head._

_The next one after that was a brown and gold gown. Maria tilted her head and made a gesture with her finger. "Turn for me, please."_

_Sonja did as she asked and turned slowly. Maria murmured thoughtfully and stood up. "It'll do."_

Maria watched Aleida working at a table.

The woman seemed intent on trying to fix something that had broken. Her hands were shaking and she hissed out a curse when she lost her grip on two metal pieces of the tool. They clattered to the floor and one rolled toward the doorway, where it was stopped by Maria's boot heel.

Aleida's head snapped up when she noticed Maria standing in the doorway of her room. "Oh!" she said, suddenly embarrassed. She tucked a little bit of hair behind her glasses. "My Lady. I didn't see you there."

Maria bent down to retrieve the piece at her foot - it looked like a part to a pistol. She furrowed her brow and walked up to Aleida, who held the other part.

"Where did you get this?" she asked.

Aleida gestured to the desk. "An old pistol was lying inside." she explained. "I thought I could try and clean it. Perhaps I could..."

Maria studied her face, tilted her head at the broken tone in her voice. "It upset you."

"What? Oh, the man..." Aleida suddenly seemed quite guilty of that fact. "Yes, I shouldn't have been so attached. That happened far too much with my other patients. But it's hard not to be, even when you know they may die. Maybe I'm a fool for it."

"Perhaps." Maria agreed, to an extent. "But an honest fool, at that."

Aleida gave a humorless chuckle. "Mm, maybe so."

"Come." Maria gestured to the doorway. "Let us train above in the Clocktower."

Aleida didn't move from her spot this time. Maria furrowed her brow and sighed, shaking her head. She understood the young woman's pain, but she didn't see its logic here.

"If you are here, you cannot hesitate to make the hard choices if it means your survival." Maria explained. "Come. Follow me."

Aleida watched her go, then glanced down at her sword leaning against the desk and took it before she eventually followed the other woman. She was eager to ease the silence of her own thoughts and tried to strike up a conversation with Maria as they ascended to the Clocktower.

"How long have you been a Hunter?" Aleida asked.

"I was a Hunter when I was very young." Maria replied, evenly. "I earned my status early among the nobles of Cainhurst."

"Ah, I've heard of such a place." Aleida murmured thoughtfully. "They are legendary."

"Yes."

"Are you still a Hunter?"

"No." Maria's eyes hardened somewhat and it was the first show of emotion that Aleida had ever seen in her.

She didn't ask any more.

O

_Sonja's body had been burned._

_Maria watched the terrible sight of it from the window of her chambers, clutching the green brooch in her hand that Sonja had intended to give her. Her cheeks were soaked in tears and her features were cold, as if chiseled from stone. Behind her, the door opened and her grandfather stood there, dressed in furs. Immediately, she could smell the forest from him - he had traveled far._

_"I received word of what happened." he said, gently._

_No response from Maria._

_"Speak your mind, Maria." her grandfather encouraged._

_"That would be unwise." Maria hissed out, voice shaking like a storm._

_She felt her grandfather approach her and he watched the window, looking out to where the woman was burning. He had known why it had been done. He saw that it was a lesson to be learned, but he knew there was ill-intent behind it as well. He knew it had been an act from Maria's brother to wound her. He had always held contempt for his younger sister._

_"My grandson is growing to be the cruel monster as they learn to be in time," he said, "Maybe that's what they want to make of you. Perhaps that's why they wanted you to learn this painful lesson."_

_Maria smiled coldly and wiped her eye with her thumb. "How utterly convenient. Burn the woman I loved to a cinder and teach me the ways of the world at the same time."_

_"Maria." Her grandfather's voice was still gentle, but his eyes were firm enough in warning._

_She was silent for the longest time now, staring at the fire._

_It didn't take long before her mother eventually entered the room. Her grandfather gave her a look before he departed. Maria sensed her presence as she walked up and said nothing. Her mother approached and stared at the fire from the window. There was nothing exchanged between them at first but a bitter silence._

_"Did you think I had her killed to hurt you?" she questioned._

_Maria showed her teeth. "I don't want to speak."_

_"Hmph, you're as fiery as your father was, you know," her mother replied, with a humorless sound - a sharp change to what she had been outside, "But that's precisely why I must teach you this lesson, Maria. This is how you must learn, the way we all do."_

_"I must learn... You are the second person who's said that to me. What lesson could I possibly learn? The heart that mourns her? Whom you've allowed to desecrate in front of our family?"_

_"That is WHY I had her killed." Her mother raised an eyebrow, gesturing outside with a flick of her head. "That was to pacify their childish blood-lust. You know it only takes so little for them. But you? You will become a Knight of Cainhurst. Do you know what that means? What it truly, TRULY means?"_

_Maria didn't answer._

_"Our Queen will grant you life eternal, you know that. You will become an ageless weapon of Cainhurst as many have before you. That girl? The one burning out there? She will have withered and died and you will have watched it happen."_

_Maria didn't want to believe her. She didn't want to consider that her mother may have been right._

_All she felt was emptiness._

"Lady Maria, I'm a robin!"

"Is that so?"

Aleida noticed the little mass of wriggling pink that had once been a patient. It seemed to not be in pain from its transformation, speaking up at Maria as she lowered herself to one knee to speak to it. In fact, it seemed to be quite happy as it was talking. Aleida studied the creature with surprise.

"Extraordinary!" she gasped.

"Will I ever curl up and become an egg?" the patient head asked, delighted. "What say you, Lady Maria?"

"Hm, perhaps you may." Maria replied, with a small, very thin smile on her face.

"Ah, good! That makes me happy!"

Maria shook her head, rose and walked into the Lumenflower garden with Aleida in tow. The younger woman dared a glance up at the great beings who tended to the garden. She had been taken by their presence every time she saw them.

"What are they?" she asked, quietly now, as if a tone louder would stir them.

"The Healing Church attempted to ascend the humans below to that of Kin." Maria explained, "These are the results of their efforts."

"Are they...dangerous?"

"To the wrong person? They can be."

Aleida grimaced at her words. Of that, she had no doubt.

They entered the Clocktower and Maria drew her sword, splitting it into two pieces. The sound echoed richly throughout the room. Aleida smiled at the sight, impressed by them. Maria performed several fluid slashes with her weapons; it was like a dance to the other woman, the way she moved and spun through the air, cape flowing so gracefully against her body.

Aleida glanced down at her sword with disappointment. There wasn't a chance that she could match the level of skill as Maria, but perhaps that wasn't the intent. Maybe it was just to teach her how to better defend herself. That was, after all, Maria's goal for her, it seemed.

They practiced a few parrying moves - to which Aleida was absolutely awful at. She tried to parry Maria's next attack, but the older woman retaliated quickly, catching her blade with the dagger, twisting and yanking it from her hand. It clattered to the floor and Aleida winced, shaking the soreness from her wrist.

"Again." Maria said.

Aleida retrieved her sword and tried once more, but it ended the same way - Maria taking her blade from her hand. The older woman commanded her to try again and every attempt simply ended with Aleida either on the floor or without her sword.

"Again." Maria repeated, firmly.

Aleida was growing frustrated and charged at Maria this time with a grunt of effort, but the other woman simply grabbed her wrist, twisted and forced her arm around Aleida's neck. The other hand held her dagger with the tip poised dangerously close to her neck. Maria's lips were close to Aleida's ear now.

"Lesson one, Aleida..." Maria warned, her tone severe, "Never attack in anger."

"Alright, alright!" Aleida stammered, fingers clawing at the arm around her neck. "Forgive me. I won't."

Maria released her and Aleida grunted, rubbing her neck. Maria watched her for a moment, remembering herself in the younger woman's place as she trained under the Beast Hunter Gehrman. She had been driven by emotional responses after leaving Cainhurst and allowed her anger to sometimes get the better of her during her training. But in time, she had learned to be a master of her own nature.

Perhaps her mother had been right in that regard; she had learned to harden her resolve and strengthen her skills while in training to be a Hunter. But Aleida was no Hunter. She was a peculiar guest in the Nightmare with something she carried on her shoulders.

Maria certainly had much of that herself.

Once the younger woman was tired enough, Maria walked her back to her room. Aleida was rubbing her shoulders with a grunt of pain. Maria caught the sight at the corner of her eye.

"Rest." she said, "We may resume tomorrow."

"I'm not improving much." Aleida pointed out, with a disappointed sigh.

"Not entirely." Maria admitted, "However, you cannot become a master swordswoman in a month. I give you these lessons to better perform here, I trust you will make better effort and not become distracted by the lost and wretched here in the Nightmare."

Aleida frowned up at her. "I shouldn't care what becomes of them, then?"

"You can have attentions for them, but do not grow attached. Their minds and bodies are already doomed to end," Maria said. "Hope is forsaken here in the Nightmare. Do not seek it where it does not exist."

Aleida looked disappointed. "Yes, you have proven that certainly..."

She started to close the door, but Maria's hand on it stopped that from happening. She frowned down at the other woman. If that was an insult, she had certainly not merited such.

"What?" she asked.

Aleida gestured around her. "You claim I should not find hope here, but isn't the point of being here to foster it? The Nightmare, as I understand, is a place of suffering. I do not believe wasting away in a tower is a proper use of time!"

"You believe that is what I do?" Maria's tone darkened a degree.

Aleida felt her heart freeze at the change and she cleared her throat. "I do not know what it is, you do, my Lady." she continued, evenly now. "I do not understand why you teach me these things, I do not understand why you linger up there alone. I simply see things as they play out."

"You see incorrectly and you would do well to hold your tongue if you intend to make such base assumptions."

Aleida's eyes widened and she realized her error. She felt herself backing away only once, suddenly unnerved in the fact of those green eyes that almost looked black in the dim light of the room. "Yes... Forgive me."

Maria seemed content with the response; she abruptly turned heel and closed the door behind her. Aleida listened to the sound of her steps as they descended into the first floor. Ah, she was going to speak with Adeline. Well, that was sure to be an interesting conversation.

"...Lady Maria?" Adeline's voice filtered through the metal grate at Aleida's feet. "You seem distressed. What's the matter?"

"Do not concern yourself for me, Adeline." Maria's voice was still strangely calm.

"You would not come to me in such a hurry if something didn't bother you."

"It's the doctor."

"Yes, I heard. She's young. She doesn't understand. Surely her ignorance can be forgiven. Given how she is, she did not mean ill intent with her words."

Maria murmured somewhat, but it was difficult for Aleida to determine what she was thinking.

A soft rumble of interest from Adeline now. "I have never seen you bothered by words, Lady Maria." she said. A pause. "Why have you been training her, anyway? I admit, I am happy to see you comforted and eased from your loneliness, but I admit I am curious."

Maria was silent before she made a thoughtful noise. Maybe she wanted Aleida to be safe? She didn't know, really. "Hm. Why indeed. Boredom? Curiosity? A passing fancy, perhaps? I don't have the answer for you, Adeline."

"I think you do. Perhaps the doctor gives you the comfort I'd hoped she would." Another pause and a chuckle. "I cannot see you, but I can hear your look, my Lady. I have sensed a change for the better in you. That makes me happy."

Maria didn't respond.

That evening, she went to sleep and dreamed of her days in Cainhurst once more.

_Cainhurst was alive with celebration._

_Several of the Knights returned with the corpses of Beasts in tow, greeted by the nobles with applause and jubilation. Maria was among the many Knights, holding the head of a Beast under her arm. She smiled and raised her head high with pride and her mother was among the crowd, chuckling._

_"Her first Hunt went well..." her mother whispered, to a noble beside her. "That's quite the Beast."_

_Maria looked around among the crowd, spotting Sonja waiting with the other servants standing at the ready to retrieve their horses. She felt herself beaming, exhilarated by her Hunt. She made her way up to the other woman, whose gaze was turned to the bloodied clothes she wore; the modified Knight clothes fit for her Hunt._

_"My Lady, your Hunt has yielded rewards, I see." Sonja said, quietly._

_"It has indeed." Maria told her. "Would you take my horse to the stables, please? Then come to my chambers. I have such stories to share!"_

_"As you wish."_

_Sonja did her bidding without hesitation and Maria waited for her in her chambers. When the other woman eventually stepped in, Maria gestured for her to sit in a chair across from hers. She spent time sharing the details of her first Hunt, quite eager to have someone to talk to about it, it seemed._

_Though Sonja had been surprised by it. She had so many comrades and friends to talk to. Why did she choose to spend her evening doing so with her?_

_"You're quiet." Maria finally said. "Nothing to add?"_

_"I cannot say. A servant has no voice of her own." Sonja replied, a bit perplexed by the question._

_"Well tonight is a night of celebration! And I choose to discuss it with you."_

_Sonja cleared her throat and rested her hands in her lap. "I see. Well, it was truly a magnificent kill you had made, my Lady. You are strong and elegant in your battles with the Beastly Scourge. They are fortunate to have you as a Knight of Cainhurst."_

_"Are you speaking as my servant?"_

_"No! No, I'm - I truly feel you are, my Lady." Sonja suddenly looked flustered._

_Maria tilted her head at the reaction, making an amused sound._

_"Well, anyway..." she continued. "I was at the edge of the river and the creature - "_

Maria awoke from her dream with a mild start. She looked around at the empty, desolate Clocktower before wiping a hand over her eyes.

_Dreaming of her again? Why?_

She grunted, feeling somewhat disturbed by the dreams. There was no reason why they would come to her again after all this time. She hadn't thought of Sonja since her passing, given only her memory by the gem brooch on her cravat. Even so, never did she dream of her so often until now. What sort of thing had triggered these dreams? She didn't know.

Either way, she needed a little air.

She stood up, quietly shuddering and gathering her wits about her. Wandering out into the garden to take in the smell of the Lumeflowers, she was surprised to find Aleida there. The other woman was kneeling beside one of the vast creatures, talking to it.

"I don't know if you can hear or understand me," Aleida said. "I wish I knew more about you."

A low gurgle answered her, but nothing more.

Aleida sighed with disappointment and hung her shoulders.

"Aleida." Maria said.

The woman looked up at the voice, startled to see her. "Ah! My Lady." she acknowledged, rising. "Forgive me, I was...simply in deep thought. Perhaps I sought to understand these things here." She gestured to the creature above.

Maria glanced up at the blue creature that wandered off now, more interested in the skies above; its hands raised upwards in its prayer. Maria walked to Aledia's side and the younger woman suddenly looked apprehensive. Perhaps she was afraid of her after what had been said below.

"I...simply wanted to apologize for my unworthy behavior yesterday." Aleida told her. "I offended you with my ignorance and I should have been more sensitive."

Maria stared at her, gauging her level of sincerity. "You were honest."

"Perhaps. But I was rude," Aleida quietly argued, "I was using my pain of losing that patient against you." She shook her head, grimacing briefly now. "I grow attached too easily to those in my care. It's a flaw, I understand that. But...what you do here in the Clocktower is not my business and I shouldn't have assumed."

Maria considered her words before she walked toward the railing that overlooked the Nightmare below. "Yes, well...I forget that you are young. Unformed of the world. Perhaps my reaction was born of experience, which you lack. I am old. Very old. I forget so easily of the feelings of those around me, born of innocence and naivete."

Aleida shrugged her shoulders and approached her, standing at her side. "Forgive me for asking but... How old?"

"The nobles of Cainhurst - particularly its Knighthood - are ageless."

"Oh." Aleida was speechless.

"The consumption of the Queen's blood had given us immortality - as they say," Maria continued. "Many have died for it. Cainhurst was abandoned when my people were slaughtered by the Church."

"Did you hold that against them?"

Maria thought about it. Really, she didn't feel much of the event short of her lack of surprise. "You would think. But no, not really. I understood my place among the Hunters and sought to prove my worth in my way. I knew what they felt about me. I knew what they saw."

Aleida frowned thoughtfully. "Did it upset you? How they looked at you?"

"No. There was one who spoke on my behalf. He was the one who trained me to slay Beasts and other monsters to the Church. One voice is often times all that matters in a clamor of duress."

"That is true." Aleida agreed, with a small sound of amusement.

The two were silent once more.

"Would you like to talk a little more?" Aleida asked, somewhat hesitantly. "I do not mind. The silence can be a bit hard to deal with at times."

Maria thought about it. Hm, perhaps that wouldn't hurt. It would distract her from the change in her thoughts regarding Sonja.

"Alright."

They talked then for the rest of the day. It was strange for Maria, but in a way, welcoming. It had been a long time since she simply had pleasant conversation with anyone that she had forgotten what it felt like.


	3. III

~O~

_Sonja had never danced before a day in her life._

_It had been strange to dance with Maria before the party, but her Lady had insisted on learning the dance steps for the event and she had no one else she was interested in practicing with. Well, so she so vehemently insisted. Sonja had seen her previous master dance with his wife at parties as well, but she could only go by that memory alone. She was not good at it._

_Being close to her mistress, up firmly against her without a sliver of air between them made the dance hall feel suddenly smaller and warmer; the rest of the world was so easily forgotten and it felt as if just the two of them existed in this castle. It was nice, despite being so very strange. She had hoped, however, that Maria would not be easily aware of the quickened heartbeat from her._

_Such a silly thought, it was._

_"...Now, move like this..." Maria instructed. "Ah, no, not on my boots."_

_Sonja couldn't help but giggle a little. The sound surprised Maria for a moment and she smiled, tilting her head as they danced together._

_"Hm." she murmured._

_"Oh! Forgive me, my Lady, I didn't mean - " Sonja lowered her eyes now._

_"No, it's no bother." Maria interrupted, shaking her head. "It's the first time I've heard you laugh."_

_"I've laughed before."_

_"Not like that."_

_"Oh..." Sonja's smile disappeared a little, but only for a moment. "Well, it's been a long time, perhaps. It's nice to laugh a little under the circumstances."_

_Maria dipped her and Sonja gave a small gasp, but grinned and laughed. Maria laughed as well, unable to resist herself. The other woman's sounds of delight were utterly charming and for a moment, she had forgotten their roles at the castle._

leida was studying the remains of a patient strapped to a table. She plucked her glasses from her face, cleaned them with a few swipes of a cloth nearby when they became too spotted for her.

"Hm, the patients were used for cerebral purposes..." she murmured under her breath, studying the device embedded into the patient's swollen head. "Trepanning...water was imbibed into their heads...hm... This made them suffer unspeakable pain."

Adeline spoke now. "They discovered her below." she explained. "It increased the need for communion."

"Communion? With who?" Aleida asked, looking back at her curiously.

"The Daughter. Abandoned in the old Labyrinth. In the early days of the Healing Church, the Great Ones were linked to the ocean," Adeline continued, "We would listen for the sound of the sea. The sticky noise in our heads."

"Sticky noise." Aleida wasn't quite certain what that meant. But it seemed to be connected to the communication of the Great Ones.

"Yes." Adeline answered, with a small chuckle that sounded high with pleasure. She sighed, as if savoring a memory. "Once, a young girl had an older brother who was determined to become a doctor, and so she willfully became his patient. In the end, this led to their encounter with the Eldritch Truth, for which they considered themselves blessed."

"That was you, then." Aleida confirmed.

"It was."

Aleida turned her chair to properly face her. "Perhaps I'm simply confused by the decision to put yourself through this. After all, I've never been one for religion." she said, "But the extent of your suffering? Why allow yourself to be a willing experiment if it warrants such pain in the name of the Gods?"

"You've answered your own question, my dear Aleida," Adeline told her, patiently, "The pain we endure purifies us for communion with them. We cannot be worthy in their eyes without our suffering to show for it. In our journey for Truth, we endure."

It was an unusual concept for the younger woman, but certainly not unheard of. Aleida had known of those who gave themselves willingly for experimentation; for science, for the Gods. Whatever their choice, that was theirs alone.

"I think I understand." Aleida replied, considering her words. She glanced down at the patient on the table. "Perhaps I'm simply viewing this through a clinical lens."

"That is a part of it as well." Adeline explained. "The lines are simply blurred."

O

Aleida had taken a break from her notes to explore the research hall a little more for something to occupy her time with. She sang a song to herself as she paged through a book. A few patients scurried passed her, ignoring her for the most part. The song she sung had been a lullaby from her mother, Gods rest her soul. It was such a relaxing melody, even at her age.

Above her, Maria could make out the sound of the song. She tilted her head to hear better, watching as Aleida walked down the length of the path before the younger woman stumbled over a pile of books. Aleida yelped once, grabbed the railing for purchase before she scowled indignantly down at the mess.

"Who put these bloody things here?" she muttered, under her breath. A look of embarrassment and realization touched her face. "Oh, wait, that was me, wasn't it?"

Maria raised an eyebrow, shaking her head with a murmur of amusement. Normally, she would find someone like the girl insufferable, but she had grown fond of her, despite everything. Perhaps having a doctor around was even a necessity, but Aleida was still young and naive to the Nightmare.

"Alright..." Aleida said, to herself, "Maybe I - Oh!"

She seemed excited by something on the floor that had fallen and Maria's brow furrowed sightly; she tilted her head and leaned to one side to better see what had captured Aleida's interest. She looked to be holding a flute in her hand and brought it to her lips, playing a few notes. The younger woman grinned and twirled the flute in her hand before walking forward.

Aleida played the flute for a few moments before she bumped into Maria. "Ah!" she said, brightening. "Look at what I've found!"

Maria glanced down at the flute in her hands. "You used to play?"

"Not very well," Aleida admitted, with a small laugh, "But my mother carved one for me when I was a child. This one looks..." She studied the instrument in her hands and ran her fingers through the holes. "Well, it obviously looks better than wood-carved, but I made due with what I had. My mother used to tell me that 'for the sake of my sanity, please stop playing that wretched thing'."

She placed the flute to her lips with the intent to play again, but Maria simply plucked it from her hands. "And...for the sake of mine, do not start again." she told her.

Aleida glanced down with an amused snort before she looked at her now. She glanced down at the sword in her hands. "Are we going to train?"

"No." Maria replied. "Not today."

"Oh." Aleida looked surprised for a moment. "What would you like to do?"

"Talk."

Aleida was happy to hear that and nodded, smiling. The two women took a walk along the second floor and started talking about one another. Maria noticed between conversations that the floor seemed a little more clean than it usually did. Aleida was surely passing her time well, it seemed.

"Have you always wanted to be a doctor?" Maria asked.

"Yes," Aleida replied; she took a long inhale, "I've always wanted to find ways to help other people. My little town had an older doctor who couldn't do much after he lost most of the function in his hands." She made a few gestures with her hands to emphasize her point. "So I was trained by him after I left the school. Soon, there were others who wanted to learn and before we knew it, our town had a strong medical staff."

"And why are you here?" Maria asked her.

Aleida's features darkened somewhat, but only for a moment. "I had heard rumors of the Blood in Yharnam." she continued. "I thought it would be fascinating to learn about it for my town. I had a friend here I was looking for who had the same idea. But when I arrived at the Cathedral Ward, I was picked up by that creature."

Her features lit up and she reached into her pocket, removing a small notebook. She began to page through it, revealing a few sketches. Maria glanced at her for a moment before leaning over her shoulder to see.

"I had someone make these for me," Aleida told her. "I carry them with me to remind me of happier times. It's good for travel, really. So long as the bloody things don't get wet."

On the page that Aleida had turned to, there was a sketch of a woman sitting alone by the lake.

"Who is this?" Maria asked.

"A friend of mine from town," Aleida explained, "She had left when we were younger. We spent a lot of time together by that little lake, trying to catch fish for our houses. We grew up poor, so fishing was how we made our meals. She had farmer hands that could snatch a fish right out of the water. She was a wonderful person."

Aleida laughed at that and Maria raised an eyebrow. "It seems as if you had more intent for her than simply friendship."

A blush from the younger woman now and she waved a hand in the air. "Oh no. No, nothing like that." she admitted. "We did talk about it once or twice. But our feelings never went any further than friendship."

She paged through the notebook and there was one that caught Maria's interest. She stopped Aleida's paging with one hand.

"Wait. Go back." she said.

Aleida did as she said and stopped at a sketch of a woman sitting on a bench, holding a young girl with enormous glasses. The woman was wearing farm clothes, smiling warmly down at the young girl in her arms. Maria noticed a sad smile touch Aleida's face.

"My mother, Justine." Aleida explained. "This was sketched for us before..." She took a deep inhale that made her voice tremble a little. "Before she passed."

"Was that the reason you wanted to become a doctor?"

Aleida murmured thoughtfully. "Perhaps it influenced my desire for it a little, but that wasn't the whole reason." she admitted. "I simply had this want and need to help others. I didn't want them to know the loss I did. So I sought the education with the best that my town could offer."

Maria reached for the notebook. "May I?"

"Oh! Of course." Aleida handed the book to her.

Maria gently turned each page of the notebook, taking note of the drawings; most of them were simple images from life - Aleida's life.

A dog and a little girl asleep together in a field.

Aleida - older - at her desk in men's fashion. Her face in the sketch looked different from the woman there. She seemed sullen and colder in this drawing. Maria was curious about it.

"Hm, what happened here?" she asked.

"Oh, that was after my mother's death." Aleida explained, glancing down at the picture. "Yes, I was writing up notes when that was sketched up. The one who did it believed taking the image was important for my healing process."

"Oh?"

"Yes, I..." Aleida hesitated. "It was recommended that I see a doctor after her death. They considered my mental health to be an important matter as I worked on my studies."

"That is why you form attachments to your patients."

"That's what I was told. Yes." Aleida sighed sadly. "'You attempt to save what you could not save in the past'. As it was phrased."

Interesting. Maria considered that this was possibly what brought her to the Nightmare, but it seemed very small for such a place. There was surely more.

She turned the page and found an interesting sketch of Aleida sitting with another woman. She tilted her head and glanced at a now-flustered Aleida.

"Who is this?"

"That WAS Sasha." Aleida told her, with a shy chuckle.

"A love interest, perhaps?" Maria felt herself smiling, intrigued.

"Yes. But...not a long-lived one, I fear," Aleida told her. "Our coupling wasn't received well by my town peers. So we broke off our relationship quietly."

"She did?"

"No. _I_ did."

Maria was surprised for a moment.

"I thought it was best. I didn't want to see her unhappy." Aleida continued. "I understand that in time, she found a nice husband and had two children. She's the image as she should be."

She gave a rather biting laugh in response.

Well, the other woman didn't expect such a reaction from Aleida. She started to question it, but Aleida seemed more interested in changing the subject. She made her way into her room.

"Ah! I found a phonograph!" she told her, "It plays a lovely song! Would you like to hear?"

Maria set the notebook down and left it to the page of Aleida and Sasha. She watched the image for a few moments in silence before she glanced at the other woman.

"Alright." she replied. "If it's something utterly crude, I will - "

Aleida wound up the device and it sputtered a few broken notes before it played a pleasant melody. Maria raised her eyebrows with a thoughtful murmur and Aleida brightened, gesturing to herself with pride. The older woman stared upwards before shaking her head.

"Very well. The music can stay." she said.

"Yes! Thank you, my Lady." Aleida was thrilled.

After a few moments, she began to dance with herself in a mock waltz, humming along with the melody of the phonograph. She didn't pay any mind to Maria interested in her notebook; the older woman paged through it, noticing a few pages seemed to have been ripped out.

Interesting.

O

Aleida wandered into a chapel later that day, curious by the prayer below.

She hadn't heard the sound until this very morning. So she found herself stepping onto a platform that took her below into the wide, vast chapel filled with beds covered by curtains. There were bodies lying dead in the beds and tools were kept on trays nearby.

Murmuring thoughtfully, she picked up a vial and studied it, shaking the red, coagulated contents inside.

"Remain wary of the frailty of men. Their wills are weak, minds young."

"Were it not for fear, death would go unlamented."

"Seek the old blood."

Aleida turned, noticing two figures kneeling before an altar. One was dressed in white robes and the other in black; they were Healing Church Doctors and ones she had become familiar with in her journey. She carefully approached them, one hand reaching out beseechingly.

"Hello?" she said.

_"Let us pray, let us wish... to partake in communion."_

_"Let us partake in communion... and feast upon the old blood."_

_"Our thirst for blood satiates us, soothes our fears."_

_"Seek the old blood."_

They continued to pray, as if they hadn't even heard her speak. Aleida sighed and shook her head. She knew there were those afflicted by madness that were unlike the Beastly Scourge. Perhaps that was why Maria had warned her to remain in the research hall.

Still, she found no harm in these two doctors. Perhaps there were tools she could use for later in her studies of the patients above.

Aleida ventured lower to a hallway filled with cells. She tried to open one, but it was locked and it seemed as if the lock had been rusted shut. She frowned thoughtfully and tried another.

"Are you a Hunter?" a voice whispered from a cell.

Aleida nearly jumped at the sound of the male voice that spoke so suddenly. She walked up to the cell door and peered inside, finding the room within in disarray; wooden chairs had been reduced to splinters, the walls scratched at and the bed ripped apart, leaving nothing but piles of hay strewn about.

In the center was what looked like a man with fur adorned on his body. The horns of a Beast were positioned over his head and fur draped over his face, much like a hood.

"Hello," Aleida said.

"Hello." the man replied, with a smile. Aleida could see a thick, gray beard hidden beneath that fur hood. "Again, are you a hunter?"

"No. I'm but a simple doctor."

He sounded a little surprised to hear that. "Oh? A doctor, you say? Well, that's very odd. And what are you doing here, doctor?"

"I don't know."

"Hm. Well...do you hear the toll of the bell?"

Aleida furrowed her brow and looked around curiously. The reaction drew forth a chuckle from the man in the cell, but she heard no sound of a bell. "No, I don't." she finally said.

"Very well." he replied, sounding satisfied with that answer. For reasons, Aleida didn't know. "If you have the chance, put this night behind you. There are places better left untouched, secrets better left alone only a fool would so brazenly roam."

"What do you mean?" Aleida asked.

He didn't answer, but simple laughed softly. "If you allow your curiosity to get the better of you, may you find out soon enough."

Aleida didn't particularly enjoy the veiled threat, so she made her way back to the chapel where she could return to the research hall. She started to step forward and the sound of a clatter drew her focus toward the steps behind her. She froze, looked toward the steps hesitantly, sure that the strange man would be there.

Someone was indeed coming.

Aleida watched as a man in Hunter garb stalked up the stairs, wielding an enormous, barbed club. He was drenched in what looked like fresh blood, his eyes wild and blood-drunken beneath the wide brim hat. His lips pulled back from his teeth with a grin and he hissed, sniffing the air.

"Blood..." he snarled.

Aleida backed away slowly toward the platform that would take her back upstairs. Immediately, the two doctors at her side sprung to life; one drew a sword, and the other a threaded cane. The doctor in white robes raised two fingers at her temples and a magic ball of energy launched itself from her eye.

Aleida watched, stunned as the energy struck the Hunter dead on in the chest. He staggered back with a low grunt of pain, but shrieked out with rage and blood-lust, barely affected from the attack at all. Aleida quickly stepped onto the platform that took her up to the research hall, listening to the sounds of fighting below.

Her heart was pounding in her chest and she struggled to calm her breath as she made her way up the stairs toward Maria where she could warn her.

The sound of the platform activating froze her where she hid; behind a bookshelf on the second floor. Her wide, frightened eyes looked toward the doorway and was stunned to see the Hunter making his way into the research hall. He sniffed the air, letting out a few thick, watery growls before casting his gaze toward the second floor.

"Where are you, little rabbit?" he hissed. "Running away from me? You can only hide yourself in the Nightmare for so long."

Aleida struggled to calm her racing heart. Her eyes widened in horror when she watched the Hunter glance toward Adeline's room. She gave several panicked whimpers and her hands shook as she watched him slowly make his way into the room.

She had to do something.

The Hunter was inside, moments as Adeline turned her bloated head in his direction. "Lady Maria?" she said, "Aleida? Is that you?"

Aleida was suddenly there and shrieked, leaping onto the Hunter's back with her sword out and ready; she stabbed it into his shoulder and he gave an angry shout, thrashing about and throwing the woman about like a rag doll. Adeline wriggled in her chair, frantic by the sounds.

"Who's there?!" she cried, "Aleida, who's with you?"

The Hunter flung his weight back, slamming Aleida against the wall with enough force to knock the breath from her lungs. She lost her grip on the Hunter and collapsed to the floor with a wet groan. Her sword clattered to the floor, sliding beneath the operating table nearby. The Hunter turned and began stalking toward her.

"Hehe, I knew you had heart," the man snarled thickly. "But there is no shame in submitting, little meat."

Aleida struggled to crawl for her sword, still disoriented from being slammed into the wall. She was almost within reach of it, but she was swiftly kicked in the ribs and collapsed with an agonized shout of pain. When she struggled to stand again, another swift kick to her face drew a splash of blood across the floor. The Hunter sighed with a hiss of pleasure.

"Stop..." Aleida begged, clawing at the floor. "Please...!"

Above them, Maria had been standing by the balcony to observe the Nightmare below. Overall, nothing new happened for quite some time. Hunters arrived, fell victim to the curse as they inevitably did or were killed. It was an endless cycle of misery and death.

Then, she lifted her head, furrowed her brow and glanced over her shoulder toward the doors of the garden.

Meanwhile, Aleida was forced onto her back as the Hunter grabbed her throat with one hand and raised his club with the other. He grinned, saliva flowing from his mouth. She kicked and struggled like a thing possessed beneath him, clutching at the hand at her neck and straining to reach the sword beneath the table.

"Beg, little rabbit." he hissed.

Aleida teeth clenched and she hissed through them, free hand brushing against the handle of her sword. She spat at him and he laughed gleefully, unfazed by the assault.

The weight of him. The smell of blood on him was too much. Aleida felt her vision dimming and she heard another voice hissing the same words in the back of her mind. The same filthy, vile -

She finally managed to grab the handle of her sword and swung at the Hunter with all her might. The blade cleaved through his forearm with ease, spraying blood across Aleida's face.

He screamed.

The horrible, blood-curdling wail of pain pierced the research hall and the Hunter rolled from Aleida, falling flat on his back and clutching his bleeding arm.

She was fueled by rage, disgust and fear, climbing on top of him. His screams of agony transformed into wails of fear, like a tortured animal moments from death.

_Like a wild dog with its leg caught in a trap..._

_It's screams frighten me._

Aleida gave a blood-curdling scream and drove the sword down upon his head over.

And over.

And over.

Even after his wails had long stopped, she continued bringing the sword down upon what remained of his head, sprayed by his blood and face soaked with her frantic tears. The sounds of flesh being torn, the grunts of effort from the woman were the only sounds in the room now.

"No more!" she shrieked, between fits of broken sobs and swings, "No more! No more! No more! No more!"

Behind her, a pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders to pull her from the corpse and she shrieked again, thrashing against the new enemy. She kicked and thrashed as the sword was wrenched from her hands and gave a tortured wail, slapping at the face of -

Maria.

The older woman flinched once from the slap, clenching her teeth with effort as she took a harsh slap to her cheek once. Then once again before seizing Aleida's face, hissing out.

"Aleida! Aleida! Stop it!" she ordered, attempting to keep her from hitting her face again, "Stop it! Stop..."

Aleida froze, wracked with violent tremors. She met Maria's gaze, her eyes almost wild with an animal fear that Maria had only seen in trapped, wounded Beasts. It was only a moment before Aleida's features twisted and she began to break down into several loud, agonized sounds of hysteria. Maria was stunned when she watched Aleida lean against her arm and continued to scream.

Adeline had been shaking in her seat, unable to speak but knowing exactly what had transpired.

"By the Gods..." she whispered.

O

Her head was ringing.

Aleida hadn't moved from her spot on the floor. She was leaning against the wall, still soaked in blood. Her arms were resting on her knees and her hands were shaking like the twitches of the final moments of a corpse. Her eyes were wide, staring ahead of her without focus; it was like a peculiar catatonia had taken her and she remained unresponsive since the attack. Maria had spoken with Adeline for a moment before she knelt down in front of Aleida.

"The Hunter had gotten close, but that cannot happen again," she told her.

Aleida continued to remain silent. Her hands were still shaking...

"Aleida." Maria said, frowning. For a split second, there was concern in her tone. But it came and went as quickly as lightning.

This was such a change to the younger woman that Maria was uncertain of what to expect next. This could have very easily been part of why she was here in the Nightmare to begin with. How she had reacted to the Hunter gave her a glimmer of suspicion of what that could have been, but she would question it later. Right now, she was more concerned about Aleida's silence.

"He must have found his way passed Ludwig," Adeline said, softly. "The poor dear. She seems to be in a state of shock. Speak with her, my Lady."

"What would you have me say?" Maria asked, looking back at her.

"Something." Adeline's voice was quieter now. Sad.

Maria sighed quietly now, then looked at Aleida again. She reached out to touch her shoulder and it earned a sharp visceral reaction from the other woman; Aleida jumped from her spot with a high, wounded yelp and Maria quickly took her hand to calm her down. Aleida was shaking and Maria reached up to take her glasses from her face and clean them on a discarded tarp.

"You've done this before." Maria confirmed.

Aleida didn't answer her. She simply seemed lost in her own mind, staring at the space beyond Maria's shoulder. The other woman continued to clean her glasses without pause. She glanced up only for a moment and sighed quietly before setting them on Aleida's face. She began to clean her cheek now with the tarp and decided not to push her for answers.

"If you won't speak of it, then there's no - " Maria began.

"My father." Aleida interrupted. She shut her eyes, swallowed thickly. "I killed my father."

Maria's hand stopped its task against her cheek and Aleida felt herself wishing it hadn't. She didn't want to look up at her to see what sort of reaction she might have and chose to stare at the fancy buttons on Maria's coat.

"I see." Maria finally replied, resuming her task now. Her next question did not come with accusations, but with a thinly veiled curiosity. "Why?"

Aleida shook her head back and forth now. A small, anguished groan escaped her lips. "He was..." she tried, with great effort, "H-He was hurting me. I could bear it no longer."

"Hurting you." Maria frowned. "Yet he gave you that sword. He showed you a few ways to use it."

"My mother died and it...changed him." Aleida met her gaze, her features twisting with sorrow. Every word she said seemed to be with great effort. She moaned and removed her glasses, covering her face with one hand. Her next words came out so very small. "Don't make me say it. Please, don't make me say it."

"That explains so much." Maria reached out with one hand, stopped herself before she placed it gently onto Aleida's shoulders. She studied the woman for a moment in silence. "Hm. Well, let's have you cleaned up. Come with me. We will discuss this later once you've calmed a little more."

Aleida didn't argue and allowed herself to be hoisted to her feet with ease; Maria was much stronger than she was, after all. She couldn't look at the corpse of the Hunter she had killed and instead, allowed herself to be led from the room by the woman who, for the first time, extended more kindness after today than she had in the weeks that Aleida had been there.

Maria held Aleida's head over the bath and rinsed the blood from it. Occasionally, a gentle hand ran through her hair to wash bits of flesh that had found its way there. It was such a soothing, comforting touch that wrought forth a deep shiver within her chest. Aleida said nothing but watched as the water had quickly become red from the Hunter's blood. Maria said nothing during the whole process, but it felt a bit strange to have her tend to her in such a way.

Aleida's hair was promptly dried with a nearby cloth used to clean the patients. She was made to stand and her coat removed, leaving her in her trousers, boots, vest, white shirt, and red tie. Some blood had stained her vest, but it wasn't quite as severe.

"Well, we can find a new coat for you." Maria offered. "For now, you'll make due."

Aleida rolled up her sleeves to her elbows and nodded numbly.

She couldn't help what happened next. She put her arms around Maria and began to cry. The other woman looked startled by the contact, arms raised away from Aleida and even considered pushing her away; this wasn't how she expected it to go, really. But, the sounds of Aleida's soft sobs in her coat made her sigh, cast her gaze upwards before she returned the embrace.

The constant stream of apologies between her sobs went by without response from Maria.

In truth, she didn't know how else to acknowledge Aleida's pain.

O

_Sonja struggled to find warmth by the fireplace._

_After she had cleaned the stables for Maria, she had slipped and fell into an icy stream nearby. She had walked back to the castle, drenched and utterly frozen before Maria had found her. She was made to sit beneath fur robes to keep herself warm._

_Maria walked into the room, carrying a tray in her arms. "I have broth." she told her. "I want you to eat it all. Stay by the fire for the remainder of the day. I will have no further tasks for you."_

_Sonja was shivering violently. "Th-Thank you, my Lady." she stammered, between shivers._

_"What happened?" Maria asked, sitting beside her. "How did you end up in the stream?"_

_"I said it before. I f-fell." Sonja told her, with a weak laugh. "I'm c-clumsy, my Lady. Forgive me. It w-won't happen again."_

_"You fell." Maria didn't seem to believe her, given the frown on her face._

_Sonja hesitated. She shut her eyes, continuing to shiver beneath the furs. "Someone pushed me." she admitted._

_"Someone PUSHED you." Maria's gaze darkened a degree. "Who?"_

_"Does it matter?"_

_"Yes. It matters to me. I'd like to know who has the audacity to put their hands on my servant."_

_A sigh. "I was in his way, it was my fault."_

_"That doesn't matter. Who - Wait, did you say HE?" Maria asked, as if she already knew who it was. "Was it my brother?"_

_Sonja hesitated to answer._

_"It was, wasn't it?" Maria sighed, annoyed somewhat. "When will he cease his childishness?"_

_Sonja said nothing and instead winced, rubbing her hands together beneath the furs. Maria caught the gesture and reached up to take Sonja's hands in hers. She began to rub them with hers and Sonja suddenly became aware of how deep she was blushing at the contact._

_Such a silly way for her to react; but her Lady's attentions were so wonderful and she couldn't help but enjoy them. Maria watched her, hands working to keep them warm._

_"Better?" she asked._

_She started to pull away and Sonja spoke before she could stop herself. "Please..."_

_Maria tilted her head._

_"Don't stop."_

_Maria's hands paused only for a moment, but after a little time had passed - which felt like an eternity - they resumed with more sensuality than they originally did. The pressure of those hands against Sonja's, the close proximity of themselves together seemed so utterly strange, yet so welcoming she couldn't refuse it._

_Neither Sonja nor Maria spoke._

_All they wanted to do was coax slowly the new atmosphere between them._

Maria had grown weary of the inappropriate memories she had return to her. As she watched Aleida sleep - the poor girl had practically cried herself into slumber. Maria had fallen asleep against the wall, having disposed of the Hunter's corpse over the railing before it begun to stink the hall more than it already did.

She looked at Aleida, shaking her head.

The poor thing was much too soft for this world. But now she understood why she had been drawn here.

And yet, here the former Hunter remained; she had allowed her to stay and allowed herself to become drawn to her again.

_Such a fool you are._


	4. IV

~O~

Aleida sat alone in the garden.

Her hands were still shaking.

She rubbed them together, watching the patients work and tend to the Lumenflowers. The air felt clear here and it certainly gave her a chance to think about what had happened inside the research hall; the look on the Hunter's blood-drunk, horrible face seared into her brain.

Someone walked up to her as she buried her face in her hands and took a long, deep, shuddering inhale to calm herself.

"Please, I just need some space," she said, without looking up. When the shadow that covered her didn't part, she looked up and was surprised to see Maria standing there. She straightened where she sat and rubbed her eyes. "Oh. Hello, my Lady."

"May I?" Maria asked.

"Of course."

Aleida scooted a little to the side to give Maria room to sit down beside her. The two women gazed out to the Lumenflowers, watching the patients still at work. It was an oddly relaxing sight, despite the madness that clouded their thoughts and the twisted nature of their existence.

"Let's see..." Maria lifted Aleida's chin to study the healing wound.

Aleida's cheeks felt a little warmer at the contact as she watched Maria study her. The swelling in her lower lip had diminished greatly and there wasn't much pain now.

"Hm, you've healed." the older woman said.

"I am fortunate it was only a kick to my face." Aleida agreed.

She laughed weakly, but Maria wasn't amused by the joke. Though, the fact that she was joking at all told her that Aleida was at least doing a little better.

Maria began to explain the position she had been placed in to care for the patients here in the research hall. It was an effort to get Aleida to speak; she had found that the days of silence from the younger woman had been somewhat difficult for her to accept. She had no idea that she would miss the woman's voice.

"What brought you here?" Aleida asked, after a moment of silence passed. "A Hunter then a caretaker of the ailing?"

"I..." Maria considered her words and it was strange to see her hesitate. "I simply wanted to turn to another path. I was like you, really. I wanted to help those who suffered."

"Me?" Aleida chuckled a little at the thought. "I don't know that I could compare to you."

Maria stared at her now. "You truly shouldn't."

"Yes." Aleida furrowed her brow in thought, but didn't question that comment further. Instead, she looked suddenly quite abashed. "Oh! I should apologize for what happened below."

"What?" Maria looked a little lost.

"The hug?" Aleida said, sheepishly. "I didn't intend to blur our boundaries."

Maria was dumbfounded. "Are you apologizing to me for a moment of humanity?"

"I suppose?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Aleida." Maria softly chastised her for it, "It simply took me by surprise for the moment, but you needed the comfort of another."

Aleida rubbed her hands together, suddenly feeling quite embarrassed.

She looked up toward the moon in the distance. It was seemingly swallowed by clouds and reminded her of a blood-drunk Hunter's eye. She tilted her head, studied it for a moment before she looked at Maria, who seemed interested in the Lumenflowers again.

"Would you like to train with me?" Maria asked. "I understand you've had much to think about, but it would be a way to ease the burdens of your troubled mind."

Aleida hesitated for a moment. "Not now. I'm simply..." A sigh. "I'm simply not in the mood."

"As you wish. You know where to find me."

She stood up and walked toward the enormous double doors leading to Clocktower. Aleida watched her go, then sighed and covered her face with two hands. They were shaking at the memory of her father. Then of the Hunter she had killed.

_The red._

_So much red._

It was there behind her eyes; the memories of what had happened the first time she had shed human blood - her father's. How she had waited until he was asleep in bed before she had taken the sword he'd given her and plunged it into his chest. Over.

And over.

And over.

She hadn't recognized the scream that came from her own throat; but below in the research hall, it had been the same as when she had killed her father. The look had been the same. Everything had been the same. It had all come rushing back in a horrid wave of familiarity.

Aleida stood up and walked out of the garden, but was stopped by a patient clutching a Lumenflower in her hands. She blinked, surprised before she took it.

"Thank you." she told the patient, with a sad smile. "I appreciate your gift. It's a lovely flower."

The patient seemed thrilled by the acknowledgement and hurried away. Aleida stared down at the great flower and thought she would put it on her desk. On the way down to her room, she stopped to visit Adeline and see how she was doing.

"Adeline, how are you feeling today?" Aleida asked, stepping into the room and sitting beside her.

"I'm well," Adeline answered. "It's good to hear from you. I was worried."

Aleida nodded her head silently. She swallowed thickly, stared down at the Lumenflower and felt an overwhelming urge to talk about it; to tell anyone and get it out of her system. Adeline was welcoming and kind when it came to these things. She always was.

"I am being punished," Aleida finally said, "I understand that now. My father's murder was justified in my eyes, but perhaps the universe sees only a murderer and nothing more."

"Was it always that way?" Adeline questioned. "With your father?"

Aleida struggled to swallow the heat that crept into her throat. "No." she said, after a moment. "No, he wasn't always a monster. It happened when my mother passed."

"Ah, he changed, then."

Aleida shuddered and felt a sour taste in her mouth. "Yes..."

She thought of the things her father was, and then later became with the passing of her mother. She thought of the night terrors, the beatings that she had endured.

Sometimes much worse would happen.

Thing happened that were so much worse that she couldn't even speak his name in any sentence. Her father deserved to die, that much was certain; he had hurt her for far too long and she had endured more than her share of pain from him. But here she stood in the Nightmare, to be punished for this deed anyway.

"I murdered my father. I took his life and buried him in ground where the pigs had been kept." Aleida continued, with a weak hiccup of laughter.

"A fitting place for an animal." Adeline remarked. She laughed as well, but paused and her amusement disappeared. "Yet...you seem a bit...tormented by the memory. Could you perhaps miss the man he was?"

"Hm..." Aleida sighed. "I did think about that. Once, maybe. Perhaps I dwell far too much on the happiness I once had. But that can't attone for the things he became later."

"No. No, of course."

Maria had been walking down the stairs to see Adeline and talk with her, but paused when she heard the two talking together.

"...We came from a poor little town, but he always liked to show himself as a clean, presentable man. But I knew him for what he was. Monsters always come dressed the best."

Maria thought about her words. Well, that was true.

"You must find a way to confront this, or the Nightmare will consume you." Adeline told her, "Speak your father's name and - "

"No." Aleida's voice was cold as ice. "I will not speak his name. He deserves to be erased from mind and memory for the things he's done."

Maria was a bit taken by the change in her voice. She had never heard Aleida sound the way she did until now. It was vicious, despite being so utterly quiet all the same. But this had not been the first time she had been surprised by something like this.

_Sonja was quietly cutting the vegetables in the kitchen that morning for the stew._

_Maria walked into the kitchen and cleared her throat. At that, Sonja stopped cutting, looked up at her and Maria put on a strong, emotionless facade. Behind her were two guards standing._

_"What are you preparing?" she asked._

_"A stew, my Lady." Sonja told her. "It will be ready this evening for the event."_

_"Let's see." Maria walked over to the pot over the fire. "Hm, seems acceptable enough."_

_The guards were talking and left the kitchen, laughing and sharing jokes with one another. Once they were gone, Sonja smiled a little and shook her head. Maria actually grinned and raised her eyebrows._

_"Well? Was that better?" she asked._

_"Yes. I don't think they suspected a thing." Sonja murmured, chuckling._

_Maria walked up to her. "My last Hunt." she said, "I've brought you back a gift."_

_She reached into her coat and Sonja lit up at the sight of wrapped sweets. She grinned and began to open the offering, shoveling it into her mouth hurriedly to the point that Maria laughed and plucked it from her hands._

_"Easy," she told her, between laughs, "You'll get sick if you eat it so fast."_

_"Forgive me," Sonja sputtered, wiping her mouth of stray crumbs, "It's been so long since I've had sweets, I lost myself for a moment."_

_"I know. That's why it was important for me to bring it to you."_

_Sonja lowered her eyes shyly now. Then, she returned her attention to her task and continued to cut the vegetables in silence. Maria tilted her head, noticing a peculiar change to her so suddenly. She set the offering down on the counter and raised a hand to Sonja's cheek._

_"Are you all right?" she asked._

_"Oh! I'm simply in deep thought, my Lady. I must finish this stew before the banquet tonight."_

_Maria nodded. "Ah, of course. You should come with me."_

_"I am a servant. Such is my duty."_

_The sudden flat tone in Sonja's voice surprised the other woman. "What?"_

_Sonja's smile was cold now. "What a pair we could make then, yes?" she continued, her tone even, but carrying a bite to it that Maria had never heard from her before, "You, the proud Knight of Cainhurst and me. The little doll you can dress up and play with."_

_Maria was completely lost. "I don't understand."_

_"What I do not understand," Sonja's voice was creeping with an edge now as she cut the vegetables with a bit more force than before, "is my place. Am I to be simply a thing for your amusement that you must always hide behind closed doors out of shame?"_

_"Sonja - "_

_"No!" Sonja slapped the knife down and turned to her, voice rising, "I WILL be heard!"_

_Never had the other woman been so open, so full of hurt emotion with her. Maria was silent as Sonja continued._

_"Do you know what your fiend of a brother said in the banquet hall? - Yes! I spoke against nobility! Strike me down if you must! - When he ordered that I pour wine for his friends, do you know what he said?" Sonja snapped, her eyes brimming. "He mocked and degraded me and my people as if I wasn't even there! Called us 'toys' and 'bags of blood'. He said we were just uneducated rats and I was nothing more than your plaything! Is he wrong? Is that what I am to you?"_

_Maria scowled now. She didn't appreciate the assumption and felt suddenly vulnerable under Sonja's scrutiny in a way that she hadn't before. "That is a base assumption."_

_"Isn't it?" Sonja's voice softened now, pain in her eyes. "You forget that when you leave for your Hunts, go to your fancy parties... you lock me in behind you."_

_She turned back to her task, chopping the vegetables in silence once more. Maria hadn't left and stood there without saying a word for a moment._

_Eventually, two hands reached out and covered Sonja's. The woman lowered her head and felt lips against her neck, giving gentle, soothing kisses._

_"You're right. Perhaps I haven't considered how difficult this would be for you." Maria finally said, with a sigh, "It always seems so easy until I forget that you are not a noblewoman."_

_A small sound of humorless confirmation from Sonja._

_"I was going to tell you this later, but perhaps tonight is appropriate. I will be leaving in a year." Maria continued, "I want you to come with me."_

_"What?" Sonja turned in her arms now, surprised. "Where will we go?"_

_"I will be training with the Beast Hunter Gehrman. He is a master of his craft and soon, I will be as well." Maria explained. She reached up, gently caressing Sonja's cheek with two fingers. "I will have you by my side. We will leave here together."_

_The idea was clearly wonderful to Sonja. She chuckled and leaned in closer to the other woman. "It's a lovely thought, my Lady..."_

_"You don't believe me." It was fleeting, but a disappointed look touched Maria's face._

_"No. It isn't that." Sonja said, shaking her head, placing a hand against Maria's chest,"My world is full of misery and disappointments. I have learned to expect such. But you will surely become disappointed by me."_

_Maria placed a chaste kiss to her forehead. "No, I will certainly not."_

Aleida was sleeping at her desk.

Maria walked into the room and noticed the glasses still clutched in her hand as she had her face buried in her arms, softly snoring. She shook her head, reached up to take them from her hand and set them nearby. She looked down at Aleida, her bangs lying against her eyes and lightly brushed them aside with a thin smile on her face.

How precious.

O

"Honestly!"

Aleida's frustrated shout echoed through the research hall. Maria walked toward her, finding her in a room trying to chase an enormous rat from it. She swatted the animal out with the end of an IV stand and the rat hissed angrily, backing away from her. Its flesh had been covered in red, swollen sores; bits of sticky brown fur barely covered the skin of the animal and its eyes were white.

Maria couldn't resist her smile and she hid it behind her fingers as Aleida made an effort to get the creature from her.

"Get away!" she snapped. "These are important documents I'm - AH! Don't piss on them!"

She gave the rat a swift kick to its backside and it squeaked, scattering away from the other woman when it realized its prey was far from worth the effort. It hurried outside onto the balcony where Aleida promptly slammed the door shut. She heard a soft laugh behind her and turned to see Maria standing there.

"Oh Gods, did you see that?" she asked, grimacing with embarrassment.

"I did." Maria replied, still smiling.

"Ahh, well..." Aleida glanced down ruefully at the trail of papers the rat had made it its path away from her. She sighed long and heavy, annoyed by the mess. "My work has rat piss all over it."

"I'm pleased to see you working again. I take it you're feeling better?"

Aleida's gaze seemed to wander for a second before she nodded. Her response was a bit hesitant, as if even she didn't know. "Yes. I slept well, I suppose. I think distracting myself would be good. For the time being, anyway."

Maria nodded her head. That seemed to be a reasonable answer.

"Oh, um..." Aleida glanced upwards for a moment. "The offer to train with you. Does that offer still stand?"

"Of course." Maria answered, nodding.

The two women went above to the Clocktower and trained for a few hours. Aleida was quiet for the most part, despite her clumsy efforts in keeping up with Maria. But the former Hunter held back a little, studying the other woman. She searched Aleida's face for any peculiar change or signs of emotion that had been there when they had last trained together.

Aleida took a break by sitting beneath a few lit candles and Maria sat down beside her. She caught sight of the glimmering brooch on Maria's cravat.

"That's a lovely brooch," she told her. "A gift?"

Maria looked down at it and then to her. "Yes. It was."

"Someone you loved?" Aleida questioned. When Maria looked sharply down at her, she smiled. "It's a betrothal brooch. I've seen them in villages when I traveled. They're common in the south. Many of them had been sold or traded across the world, but they're quite valuable."

Maria was silent and simply stared into the distance. Aleida read her face, noticing a regretful look come and go as quick as lightning. She didn't want to think about Sonja now as it was utterly without purpose to do so.

"You don't need to tell me if you don't wish to." she said.

"It's true. There was someone whom I had loved and lost in the past," Maria told her anyway, "I was naive and believed that we could be happy together, but my family proved well enough that it wasn't possible and she paid the price for it with her life. Perhaps this is a reminder that I never be so foolish again."

Aleida looked at her with a sympathetic grimace. "I'm so sorry."

Maria didn't respond. She simply connected the blades of her sword together once more and sat in silence beside Aleida. They watched the enormous face of the clock before them and Aleida tilted her head, staring up further at the bells that hung overhead.

"Considering everything, this is still such a lovely place," Aleida told her. "The chimes of the bells, the ticking hands. It's quite charming, in its way. Hah, I could sleep here if I wish."

"Really?" Maria found that odd.

"Why so surprised, my Lady?"

"It's loud here. I'm amazed that I can sleep."

"Hm. I like a bit of noise in the evening hours," Aleida replied, looking around, "It helps me when things seem too quiet. Otherwise, I can't sleep."

"You don't sleep well, I take it?"

"Mm, no. Not really. I had a difficult time during..." Aleida hesitated again and didn't want to bring up that part of her past. "Well, you know why. But it seemed to carry on after the fact. But here? Here it's strangely much simpler." She chuckled a little now and shook her head. "Amazing how anyone can in the Nightmare."

Now it was Maria's turn to laugh quietly. "Yes. I suppose that's true."

The two women were quiet again, listening to the distant noises of the Nightmare, coupled with the gentle wind through the Clocktower.

Meanwhile, deep within the bloodied pools of the Hunter's Nightmare, something had shifted.

Slippery ribbons of flesh sprung up. Hisses filled the air.

Fingers clawed their way through the mess of gore, reaching up into the air with a primal scream that followed. The crows departed with a chorus of screeches at the call.

O

_Sonja hissed sharply in pain._

_Maria tended to the cut on her hand with a few gentle pats of a cloth. The two women were sitting by the fire of Maria's chambers after Sonja had sliced her hand while moving a statue._

_"It's not deep," Maria told her, gently, "You shouldn't have tried to move it on your own."_

_Sonja winced again when Maria began to wrap the wound. "It's all right, my Lady. It doesn't even hurt much now. See?"_

_She flexed her hand a little to demonstrate and Maria nodded, satisfied when it seemed that Sonja was okay with it. She looked down now, seemed to hesitate about something before a peculiar change came to her eyes._

_"You work hard." Maria told her. "I am pleased to have you with me."_

_Sonja tucked a little bit of her hair behind her ear. The words from Maria seemed a bit...strange compared to how they had been before. But she still acknowledged her. "Thank you, my Lady..."_

_"No..." Maria shook her head and Sonja looked up, surprised to see an unusual conflict touch her face for a brief second. "That isn't what I wanted to tell you."_

_"Oh?" Sonja looked confused._

_"No," Maria said, "I've noticed some changes between us. I have seen the way you've looked at me."_

_Sonja's face felt hot. She lowered her eyes once, then smiled weakly. "Yes. I've noticed it as well, my Lady." she replied, quietly, "You look at me like..."_

_Maria tilted her head. "'Like'?"_

_"Like an equal."_

_The room had become significantly warmer again and Sonja's words confirmed the unspoken truth between the two women. Maria's eyes widened for a moment, as she took a moment to realize what had been happening. It had been happening for a little while; she should have known the signs, really._

_The fact that she had been so eager to share her Hunting tales with Sonja first._

_The way she smiled when she saw the other woman._

_The sense of pleasure she felt when Sonja laughed._

_Sonja glanced down at the robes Maria was wearing. Ah, yes, the ones that she had cleaned. Red sleep robes decorated with salamanders; Cainhurst nobles were particular about the imagery._

_"What would you like to do about this?" Maria asked, her voice softer now. Her hand reached up to touch Sonja's cheek as if she were a fine treasure._

_"I... You're asking me for my consent?" Sonja stared at her as if she'd asked her to sprout wings and fly away._

_Maria should have known that the idea of giving her consent would have been strange. She had been a slave since she had been a child. The idea that anyone would allow her to choose what would happen next was probably quite baffling to her._

_"Yes. I'm asking." Maria assured her._

_She would not take what she wanted from another woman. Maria was not her brother._

_"Well..." Sonja's cheeks reddened. She laughed softly, rather shyly. "I would like a kiss."_

_"A kiss." Maria smiled. "Of course."_

_She moved closer, gently slipping her hand behind Sonja's neck and ghosted her lips against hers. Sonja's breath seemed to deepen, shudder in anticipation. Maria took a moment to hesitate - after all, once she kissed her, that would be the final confirmation between them - before finally pressing her lips against Sonja's._

_The other woman didn't respond at first - perhaps she too felt a shock at the change between them - but she quickly responded after that moment of hesitation and leaned against Maria. The quiet sound in her throat, the way she molded herself so well in Maria's arms made this feel so much like a dream, she was certain she would wake up in her chambers alone at any moment._

_When they finally managed to find the strength to part, they were both utterly breathless and leaned their foreheads together; Maria cupped her chin in one hand, gently running her thumb lightly against Sonja's lower lip. Such a simple touch left a scorching trail in its wake._

_Sonja's hands had wandered before she realized it; they slipped through Maria's collar, around to the back of her neck so that she could hold her close. Maria didn't seem to mind it and instead, cupped her chin and brought her forward so their mouths could meet once again._

_It was nothing more than a slow, gentle kiss between them; Sonja was so utterly tentative with her responses that she didn't seem certain where to touch or if she should. Maria's eyes opened and she noticed the hesitation before taking one of Sonja's hands and placing it through her robes, to touch her bare skin above her collar bone._

_The woman audibly gasped, unable to fathom that she was here, able to touch her; to have been asked for consent to be touched._

_Maria's eyes questioned and Sonja's answered._

_Maria's hands reached down to take hers, their lips meeting again for another kiss; their fingers gently caressed one another, like the bodies of two lovers. Each touch felt like little flames licking the surface of their skin, agitating every contact between them with renewed sensitivity._

_Once she parted, Maria took her hand. "Come."_

_Sonja took a moment to gather her clouded thoughts. She was lifted and taken toward Maria's bed and guided to the edge._

_"Sit." Maria encouraged._

_Sonja looked confused for a moment before she realized that she was actually going to lay in the bed of a noblewoman; such an odd, surreal feeling came to her then and she had to fight off the feeling. Sonja was certainly willing to be here with her, but she didn't want to be a disappointment because of her own nervousness. She was far from a pure woman, but she felt like that little virgin she used to be now that she was under such intense scrutiny from her dearest Lady._

_Maria knelt down before her, those green eyes piercing the very depth of her and Sonja was suddenly aware of the change between them; Maria on her knees and she above her in the bed. It stole the breath from her lungs and left her aching._

_"My Lady - " she began._

_Maria placed a finger against her lips, silencing her. "Maria."_

_Sonja nodded her head. Well, that was certainly the confirmation that she needed to hear. It brought forth a genuine, radiant smile on her face that made Maria's heart clench at the sight. How had she failed to see what Sonja truly was to her? How had she missed the knot that tightened between them with each gaze, spoken word and contact?_

_"Of course." Sonja finally said, when she was able to find her voice._

_Maria's hands began to undo the tie that held her flimsy robes together and one urged the fabric apart, giving the naked skin of her shoulder a caress. Sonja shivered, not quite certain if she should touch her or not. This was still an unusual thing to be given - consent and love._

_"Touch me." Maria encouraged, when she senses Sonja's indecision; her breath tickled her earlobe as she straightened to kiss her beneath it. "I want you to touch me."_

_Sonja needed no further instruction; she slipped her hands through the elegant robes of her soon-to-be lover, thrilling at the contact. She could finally touch her. She could finally, FINALLY find ease in the warmth of her body as she urged the robes from her shoulders and onto the floor._

_"Oh my..." Sonja breathed, unable to tear her eyes away at the naked form of Maria kneeling there._

_A smirk lit Maria's face as she helped undress her properly as well. It wasn't the first time she'd seen Sonja naked before and certainly not Sonja's first time seeing her; yet even so, there was something different about it tonight that made it far more irresistible._

_"I can't believe this is happening," Sonja gasped, when she felt teeth lightly scrape across her lower jaw. "My La - Maria..."_

_She had quickly corrected herself, gasping out again as she felt Maria gently nip the space between her neck and chin. Fingers brushed soft, yet scalding trails down her back and against the rough patches of skin where she had been whipped. Sonja visibly flinched at them, and Maria pulled away, frowning curiously._

_"What is it?" she asked._

_"Oh, forgive me," Sonja's breath was thicker than she'd wanted. "It's... It's strange having them touched."_

_"Strange." Maria seemed to consider something. "I see. Lay on your belly."_

_Sonja blinked, surprised by the request._

_"Trust me."_

_There was just something about the way that Maria said that and the way that she had looked at her which had her thighs already quivering. She climbed further into the bed, rolled onto her belly and looked back as Maria climbed into the bed with her._

_She started to rise, but Maria placed a few gentle kisses against her shoulder. "It's all right." she assured her. "I won't harm you."_

_Sonja gave a small start when she felt fingertips stroke the scars on her back. It sent stabs of heat through every nerve in her body. Maria noticed the reaction; the goosebumps that raised on Sonja's skin and the shudder that escaped her lips._

_"You don't often have them here for your bed-mate to see, do you?" Maria asked, softly as she continued to touch them._

_Sonja shivered again. "N-No. The ones who..." She hesitated with a small whimper. "The ones who often used me didn't like to look at them. They liked their pretty toys, you understand. My scars put them off to their fiendish appetites."_

_Maria felt a bitter taste in her mouth as she thought of the physical demands Sonja had to endure from what had most likely been the most vile and despicable masters. She didn't want to think of Sonja being used in such a way and instead, chose to lean down and place soft, open-mouthed kisses on her back._

_To have the scars acknowledged in such a way awoke something deep within the other woman. Sonja's fingers clutched the pristine sheets, bunching them against her face. She felt a stab of heat between her legs and enjoyed those lovely lips against her skin for a few moments more before Maria settled on top of her, lips against her ear._

_"It's all right." she reassured her once more._

_Sonja relaxed and seemed to tolerate her kisses on her back more than enjoy them. After a few moments, she gasped out._

_"Please, please... Stop."_

_Maria lifted her head, surprised. "Stop?"_

_"It's... It's too much." Sonja managed, looking back at her apologetically. "Forgive me, I can't. I can't have them kissed anymore."_

_Maria nodded. "I understand."_

_"We can... We can try again some other time? If you wish."_

_"When you're ready." Maria assured her. She would not make Sonja uncomfortable in any way._

_She lifted herself away and allowed for Sonja to turn onto her back. She settled herself on top of her, allowing their bodies to mold so perfectly against one another. They shared a kiss and after a moment, Sonja looked up at her with regret._

_"Did I...ruin it?" she asked._

_Maria chuckled affectionately and nudged her head back with her nose so that she could kiss the slope of her neck.. "That would be a difficult task considering you're naked and dripping on my thigh."_

_"Oh!" Sonja's blush deepened and spread across her chest. She laughed a little, embarrassed as she buried her face in Maria's shoulder. "Yes, I am. You do that well enough to me."_

_"Ah, so you've imagined me?" Maria found the notion to be scandalous, yet oh, so delightful._

_Sonja giggled again. "I have."_

_"How utterly shameless of you."_

_Sonja's eyes focused on the ponytail in Maria's hair. She reached up, but hesitated again and Maria leaned her head closer so that she could undo the ribbon that held her hair in place. Ribbons of blond locks fell, falling over her eyes and making something already lovely absolutely irresistible._

_"Oh..." Sonja breathed, reverently as she threaded her fingers through Maria's hair, teasing her scalp. "The Gods surely wept when they made you."_

_Maria's smile was tender. "And you."_

_"Oh. I don't believe so..."_

_"Well I do."_

_Her hand smoothed a path down the middle of Sonja's chest; between her breasts and across her belly before getting lost between her legs. The contact had Sonja arching her hips up against Maria's hand with a low groan that she tried to stifle by biting the skin on the back of her hand. Maria shook her head and guided her hand away from her mouth to kiss her lips again._

_"Let me hear," she whispered, against her mouth as she continued to stroke her, "Let me hear you."_

_Sonja moaned again, rolling her hips against Maria's hand. The woman on top of her continued to explore before she leaned up a little more, taking one leg with her. The woman beneath her exhaled a whimper when she felt herself filled with two fingers._

_Her hands grasped Maria's shoulders for purchase, eyelashes fluttering as Maria moved her fingers inside of her, slowly and gently coaxing her toward the edge. This was...so slow and gentle compared to what Sonja was used to; her previous bed-mates had all taken their pleasure from her like rutting animals, but Maria did not. Those long, thin fingers filled her so tenderly, so sweetly._

_When her fingers brushed a sensitive place deep within her, Sonja arched up, fingers clawing at her shoulders with a heated cry._

_"Oh! Oh...my...what IS that?" she gasped._

_Maria sucked the skin of her neck, leaving a generous mark for her to admire later. "That? That is mine." she breathed, her own voice thick with anticipation, "That was waiting for me and me alone."_

_Sonja let out a beautiful stream of moans for Maria to savor as she continued to stroke that spot; she was watching her with fascinated awe. It seemed like every little thrust of her fingers brought forth delicious sounds from the other woman that she had never heard her utter before. When she questioned if she could add another finger, Sonja immediately whispered out a lust-filled "yes"._

_At that, Maria continued to press against that spot with her fingers until Sonja began to pant and hoarsely call out her name. Not "my Lady", but her name. There was just something about THAT which proved to be one of the most lovely things Maria had ever heard from her._

_"Maria..." Sonja gasped, her voice light with impending orgasm. She started to chant frantically, straining. "My Lady, my love...please!"_

_"Are you going to finish?"_

_"Yes! Please!"_

_Maria was relentless now, thrusting her fingers in faster. "Good..." she hissed, her beautiful voice straining, "Finish for me."_

_Sonja certainly didn't have to be told twice. In seconds, she seized up and came apart with a passionate shout to the heavens above. Maria swallowed every cry with a fierce kiss of teeth and tongue that left Sonja's head spinning and senses drowned out to everything but the two of them._

_While she was still shaking, Maria gently removed her fingers from her. "Well, I'm certainly not disappointed." she said, with a smile._

_"Nor am I." Sonja replied, between breathless laughter._

_Maria sat up now, straddling her thighs. Sonja watched her, awestruck by the sight of the woman's naked form. She looked down when Maria took her hand and placed it against the muscles of her abdomen for her to explore. The look of barely veiled lust in her gaze made Sonja shudder and warm anew._

_"Well?" Maria crooned now, her voice smooth and betraying only the faintest hint of need. She raised her chin, giving Sonja the most regal, most elegant look she could, "Will you please me? Or am I to be left wanting?"_

_Sonja's cheeks darkened. "Of course, Maria."_

_She continued to stroke her fingertips against Maria's abdomen before moving lower. She shied away from the place between her legs only for a moment until she received an encouraging nod from the woman above her. Her hand was then lost in the slick folds of her lover._

_Maria gave a soft hiss, her eyes fluttering shut as she leaned her head back to enjoy it._

_Sonja was amazed at how she was wetter than anything she'd ever expected her to be. The thought that SHE was the one responsible for such responses sent a thrill through her body. Maria's fingers clenched at her sides and through the locks of blonde hair, she glanced down, smiling at the woman who touched her. It gave her an utterly breathtaking appearance that Sonja could not take her eyes away from._

_She continued to stroke her before Maria took her wrist, guiding her fingers to slip up inside her. With all the waiting, she was more than ready for it. Sonja audibly gasped at the feel of her; greedily clenching around her fingers, determined to take every bit of pleasure from them. She slowly worked them inside and the sounds of pleasure Maria uttered were so incredibly erotic._

_"Faster...!" Maria suddenly whispered._

_Sonja obliged and Maria gave a strange, guttural noise, leaning down now to bury her face in Sonja's shoulder. Her breath was quicker now, fingers clutching the sheets so tightly._

_Maria didn't seem very vocal during sex and it almost had Sonja wondering if she wasn't pleasing her as well as she could. She nuzzled her nose against Maria's ear, whispering._

_"Maria, do you enjoy this?" she asked._

_A hoarse chuckle answered her. "Oh, yes...!"_

_Sonja was happy with the response. She reached with her free hand to lift Maria's chin, just in time to see her features twist. The other woman gave another breathless laugh._

_"So...you want to watch me, do you?" she gasped._

_She suddenly pressed their foreheads together and Sonja watched as Maria's stoic features changed; close to orgasm, she appeared to look like she was close to weeping and it was quite startling because she had no idea the other woman could look like that in a million years._

_It was breathtaking and so beautiful on her that Sonja refused to let her tear her eyes away. She wanted to remember the way Maria had looked, how she felt when she was brought over the edge. It took only a few seconds before the sound that followed from Maria was a hoarse, strained cry and a flash of teeth that could probably make the Undead Queen herself blush so._

_She didn't mind when the other woman collapsed on top of her, taking a moment to collect herself. Sonja felt a smile tug at the corner's of her lips. She kissed Maria's forehead, unable to help herself from engaging in something so intimate and tender._

_Sonja eased her fingers gently from the other woman's body before pushing back a few sticky strings of hair that had clung to her face._

_"I must certainly look a fright." Maria quipped, when her breathing had evened out._

_Sonja laughed softly. "No. You look lovely."_

_Maria felt a stab of vulnerability that she couldn't help. She cleared her throat and looked away. Sonja rubbed her cheek with one finger and they watched the fireplace._

_"What do we do now?" Sonja asked._

_"Hm. I don't know quite yet. For now, stay with me."_

_Sonja stayed in the bed and the pair fell asleep together, having warmed by the comfort of the fire and the warmth of each other's satiated bodies. Maria didn't sleep for long, however; she chose to hold Sonja close and pet the hair back from her eyes._

_A soft chuckle from her._

_Well, she would handle the consequences of this later. Right now, she had her._


	5. V

~O~

Maria felt disgusted with herself.

Why would she dream of such debauchery with Aleida having fallen asleep on her shoulder in the Clocktower that evening. Evening or not - time was still so very obscure here in the Nightmare - it was inappropriate of her to have those sorts of dreams like that.

She patted Aleida's cheek once. "Aleida, wake up."

The younger woman gasped softly, stirring from sleep. She looked around the room, stretched a bit and cracking her arms before she rubbed one hand across her forearm in a distracted gesture.

"Oh! We fell asleep." Aleida said, with a chuckle of discomfort.

Maria stood up, attempting to forget her dream as she helped Aleida to her feet. She cleared her throat and turned abruptly, embarrassed by the condition between them. The sharp change in mood seemed to startle Aleida, but she didn't voice it.

"Yes, well..." Maria told her. "That will be all. I assume you'll retire to your room for the remainder of the evening. I'd like to have time to myself."

Aleida looked a little disappointed, but attempted to make it seem as if she wasn't. "Oh! Oh, of course. If...that's what you want, I will leave." she replied. She seemed distracted now and nodded her head, painfully aware of how out of sorts it suddenly felt. "Yes, I should do that, shouldn't I?"

She turned to go and Maria sighed softly, glancing back at her only briefly as she walked to the doors that led out into the gardens.

"Goodnight, my Lady." Aleida told her, hesitantly. She was sure she had done something wrong, but decided it seemed best to just leave for now.

She ventured below into the research hall, confused by what had just happened. Had she done something wrong? She didn't know. Lady Maria wasn't always the easiest person to read. Still, maybe some time and space would be the best thing to give her.

Meanwhile, Maria had chosen to train on her own with her sword; she practiced a few slashes, swung her blades with skill and dexterity. The air around her rippled with the sheer force of her strength. The fire of the Vileblood ached beneath her skin, to be used and channeled, but Maria would never. She proved to rely solely on her skills, not the natural born instincts of her lineage.

_"Tormented this evening, my dear?"_

Maria ignored the hallucination. The Nightmare liked to tease her with such images from time to time. She had grown accustomed to the sight of her mother's blood-drenched image standing there - frozen in her final moments when the Executioners had trampled through Cainhurst and slaughtered most of her people - with her throat cut and blood soaking her dress.

_"Yes, you could have stood above all of them. You were of HER blood." her mother's illusion continued, with a sigh of dismay. Those long-nailed fingers teased a lock of her hair at her cheek. "Yet...you gave that up so easily, didn't you. Yes. You turned your back on your people and your blood. For what, really? The tits of a slave girl?"_

Maria curled her lip, disgusted by the distasteful words. "Damn you..."

A cryptic chuckle from the image. _"A bit late for that, wouldn't you say?"_

Maria ignored her. She knew what this illusion was; an image to torment her from that... That strange creature. From below. It wanted to push her over the edge so that she could be swallowed in a torrent of violence and wrath, just as she nearly had done before she had learned to master it.

_"Hmmm..." the image of her mother purred, walking closer and looming behind her, "Oh, I see it. That little thing below. She fancies you. I see the wonder, the curiosity to know you. But..." She sucked her teeth sharply, shaking her head and looking at Maria with mocking amusement. "Would she still want you if she knew what you'd done? Would she still tease her curious wonder if she knew of the thing you killed to keep hidden?"_

A darkened look touched Maria's face. Her hands trembled only the slightest.

_"Oh, yes. There it is. The glimpse of your humanity. Yes...still there after all this time." the illusion hissed, as if savoring a delicious meal, "You want her to adore and worship you, just as the little slave girl so foolishly did. But you know in that blood-drenched soul of yours that she can't. She won't. When she sees the thing you truly are, she will hate and despise you. Just as I do."_

Maria's lips thinned and she swung her sword, cutting through the image of her mother. It was dispelled in a hiss and puff of black smoke. Yet with the departure of the image, she could hear faint whispers in the air from far, far away; it was a chant that she heard many times before.

_...Byrgenwerth...Blasphemous murderers...Blood-crazed fiends...Atonement for the wretches...By the wrath of Mother Kos...Mercy for the poor, wizened child...Mercy, of please..._

_Lay the curse of blood upon them, and their children, and their children's children, for evermore. Each wretched birth will plunge each child into a lifetime of misery. Mercy, for the poor, wizened child...Let the pungence of Kos cling, like a mother's devotion..._

O

Aleida was sketching a detailed mapping of the patient crouched before her. She glanced up only occasionally to look at him; her sketch had included notes, medical information about the figure there. The patient chatted anxiously, scratching at his arms.

"Please be still," Aleida told him. "Just a little more."

"Go." the patient mumbled. "Must go. Must go."

"Just a minute," Aleida repeated. "I'm about finished and then I'll let you go."

The patient mumbled again, growing more and more impatient with every ticking second that we by before he got up and rushed off with a screech. Aleida started to protest, reaching out, but sighed and rubbed her forehead wearily. Adeline laughed behind her and she glanced over her shoulder at the bound woman.

"What could possibly amuse you so?"

"Sitting still isn't something they do, I fear." Adeline replied.

"Maybe so. But I'd like to make a few sketches for future reference."

Adeline was silent. "Did something happen earlier?"

"Maria informed me that she needed her space. I don't know if I may have said or done something," Aleida explained, brow knotting, "It seemed fine, but she was so abruptly cold in a second."

"I see." Adeline sounded troubled. "What else happened?"

"We...fell asleep together." Aleida's cheeks darkened.

"Oh?" Delighted intrigue lit up Adeline's voice.

"It was nothing like THAT." Aleida huffed, embarrassed at such a scandalous idea. "We just talked and must have fallen asleep on each other's shoulders. But I think it must have embarrassed her because she bid me away just like that. I must have done or said something...I have talked in my sleep before."

Adeline sighed. "Such a bother..."

Aleida straightened and glanced up, watching as a patient rushed off without his gown on. She furrowed her brow, shaking her head.

"Honestly, why must they run around naked?" she muttered, "Oh well, we can't have that."

She set her notebook down and quickly hurried to catch the naked patient, who chose to run screeching up the stairs. Aleida yelped when she avoided his hands and endured the cackling.

"PLEASE PUT ON YOUR GOWN!" she shouted. "This is positively indecent!"

"Run, run, run, run...!" the patient's chatter filled the air.

After a while of trying to catch up, Aleida had all but given up in the effort to dress the naked patient when he fled further up to the higher floors; no, she wouldn't risk her safety for the sake of dressing him when he clearly had no interest in doing so. She sighed, threw her hands into the air and returned to her room to finish her notes.

A few hours had passed before Maria entered the room, her hat tucked under her arm. She spotted Aleida sitting in the corner, scribbling down notes and murmuring to herself. The younger woman didn't seem to notice her just yet as she rose, pacing around the room. She had her sleeves rolled up, her vest unbuttoned and her tie removed.

"...Genitals have atrophied among the majority of the male patients..." she mumbled, tapping the end of her charcoal pencil against the notebook, "Though there appears to be signs of muscular growth that - "

Maria cleared her throat and Aleida stopped pacing, startled to see her there. "Oh!" she exclaimed, "Lady Maria. Are you..." She stared at her hesitantly, unsure of how to approach. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Maria replied, nodding her head. She didn't want to dwell on what happened in the Clocktower. "I simply came down to see what you were doing."

"Oh. Oh!" Aleida retrieved her notebook. "I was making a few sketches for research on the patients."

She held it out to Maria and the woman set her hat down on the nearby table so that she could look at the notebook; the sketches were quite good, though covered ridiculously in sloppy handwriting only a doctor was wont to have. She had also sketched Adeline as well.

"I had an idea." Aleida suggested, with a smile. "What if I put you in my notebook, my Lady?"

Maria blinked and gave her a funny look. "I'm not a part of your research."

"No, but..." Aleida laughed quietly. She seemed embarrassed by the idea and quickly eager to change the subject when she felt as if she'd blurred their boundaries. "Oh, nevermind. It was a silly idea."

_She wants to spend time with you._

Of course. Such an unspoken thing. Maria felt foolish for failing to see it.

"Alright." Maria turned, "You may."

"Really?"

"Yes." Maria turned her attention now to a chair nearby, dusted it off of books before taking a seat. "If you want to sketch me, I'd like a suitable place to sit. This will do."

She took a seat, crossed her legs and held her sword in her lap. Aleida smiled, a little taken by the agreement before she retrieved her notebook and charcoal pencils. Taking her chair, she pulled it across from Maria and sat down. The former Hunter raised her chin and the hints of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"I haven't had my portrait commissioned in such a long time." she said. "Shall I pay you for your efforts?"

"Honestly. Where would I spend the gold?"

Maria made an amused sound. How utterly silly.

Aleida laughed a little. "Well, either way, I'm far from skilled." she replied, glancing down at her notebook once more, then back up to Maria again. "Oh! Lift your chin a little, please."

Maria did as she said and sat perfectly still as Aleida sketched away. The only sounds around were the noises of the charcoal running across the paper.

It was an unusually intimate moment that gave Aleida a sense of pleasant warmth; studying every detail of Maria sitting there, as still as a statue and waiting until she finished. She was aware of the green eyes focused on her and solely her. It was a very curious feeling that came over Aleida then, but she chose to ignore it and focus on her task.

"Did you often sit like this for them?" Aleida asked.

"Many, many times." Maria replied. "Cainhurst nobles do so value their preservation in the arts."

"Nothing wrong with that." Aleida focused on the sketch intensely. She wanted it to be as perfect as she could manage. "It's quite nice to see anyone cherish such things. The arts are what keep us human and it separates us from the Beasts."

Maria raised an eyebrow. "Old proverb?"

"Not really." Aleida replied, with a laugh. "Something my mother once told me."

"Your mother seems like a kind woman."

"She was..." Aleida's smile thinned a little. "Perhaps her kindness didn't see my father for the dread wretch he was. But..." A sad sigh, then her features lit up and she smiled down at the notebook. "Ah. I'm finished."

Maria rose. "Let's see."

She started to walk over and reached for the notebook, but Aleida pressed it against her chest and grimaced. "Do you swear not to laugh?"

"I will do nothing of the sort." Maria assured her, confused by the look on her face.

Aleida handed her the notebook and Maria looked down at the sketch the other woman had made of her; it was true that Aleida wasn't the painter that her mother often hired to make portraits. Even so, the way she had sketched her with such...tenderness surprised Maria more than anything else.

The sketch that had replicated her expressions were much different than when she had her portraits made in Cainhurst. Aleida seemed to capture something new that the professional artists never did, but Maria couldn't put her finger on what that could have been.

"It's a good sketch." Maria answered, at last. "May I keep it in my tower?"

Aleida looked a little surprised, then confused. "You want to keep it?"

"Yes. Is that acceptable?"

"Um. Yes! Yes, if you wish."

Aleida took the notebook, set it down and carefully ripped out the page. Then, she handed it to Maria, still pleasantly surprised and quite flattered by the request. But as soon as she did, the older woman suddenly looked up sharply, alert. She glanced around quickly before hurrying from the room.

"My Lady?" Aleida looked startled, setting the piece of paper down and following her.

O

Maria was out on the balcony and peered over the edge, seemingly looking for something. Aleida had hurried to her side and looked around, but she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe Maria sensed something in the Nightmare that Aleida could not.

"What is it?" Aleida asked.

"Something's changed in the Nightmare." Maria said, frowning. "I can feel it. It's..."

"What? Are you sure?" Aleida was uneasy by the look on Maria's face. "Is it something we should be worried about?"

Maria didn't know. It was strange to feel the Nightmare swirl and manifest new things, but not entirely heard of. She had been trapped here for so long, she knew when it happened and it hadn't done so in so long. She could only imagine it could have been a new test or a challenge for her to face.

"I think I should see to Adeline." Aleida suggested, worried.

She ventured into the research hall from the garden, but froze at the heavy, pungent smell that welcomed her that hadn't been there before.

Decay and rot.

Aleida couldn't move at the voice that whispered through the air next, beckoning her name like a frightening collection of serpents. She looked toward the lift at the sounds of wet footsteps. Her eyes slowly widened in a strangled sound of horror as a human shape approached her.

With every step, pooled black sludge. It dripped from the figure's body as if they sweat it from their very pores.

Gods no.

Oh Gods, please.

Her father was approaching her, frozen in his final hours. He was bare footed, wearing the sullied, stained farm clothes from when she last saw him; his head was bloodied, dripping red crimson down his face and cheeks. His eyes were black pools with red irises and that smile.

That hideous, diseased smile on his face.

The smell was the last smell she had ever had of him; how his corpse had rotted in the mud with the pigs. How they'd picked away at it...

Aleida quickly turned away, mumbling under her breath. "It's not real..." she whispered, frantic. "It's the Nightmare. It must be. It's not real."

"Aleida..." her father said, so gently, "Aren't you going to come say hello to papa?"

Aleida shook her head rapidly. "Not real..." she continued to mumble. "Not real."

However, her father continued to smile, his eyes lit up with cruel intent. "Mm, come now, Aleida. Don't be insubordinate. You know how I feel about that, don't you?"

Aleida felt him approach and she could literally SMELL the decay coming from him. The scent was so strong, she felt sick to her stomach. Her head began to spin and her heart thudded wildly in her chest. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move.

_Move, you stupid girl. Move._

Hands touched her shoulders and lips came close to her ear. Fingers slid dangerously close to her collar. "Come on, Aleida. Welcome me home."

Aleida's eyes snapped open at the contact and she whirled, pushing him away two hands. "NO!" she shouted, eyes wild with fear and loathing. Another fierce shove and he grinned at her now. "No, you're dead! You're not my father! You're not him!"

She shoved him again and he just laughed, delighted by the reaction. Aleida reached at her belt, brought out her sword and cut him across his face, spraying black ooze across the nearby wall. He recoiled with a hiss and she swung her boot, kicking him to the floor. When he tried to get back up, she began to drive the blade into his head again. And again.

And again.

And again.

"DO YOU LOVE ME NOW, PAPA?!" she screamed down at him, spitting out her words, "DO YOU LOVE ME NOW?!"

Shaking with wrath, disgust and anguish; Aleida recoiled now and shot up to her feet, staring down at her sword that had become soaked in brown and black mush. Maria had heard her screams and rushed into the hall to her side. She looked at Aleida and cupped her cheeks.

"Aleida?" she gasped. "Are you hurt?"

Aleida was shaking, but strangely, she seemed much more calm this time. She shook her head silently before gesturing to the corpse at her feet with her sword. Maria turned, and immediately covered her nose with one hand with a disgusted noise.

"What is this filth?" she hissed.

"I don't know. It looks like my father..."

"Your father." Maria glanced at her briefly.

The man laying there suddenly groaned softly, immediately putting the two women on guard. He slowly rose, blood and brown fluid pouring from his head and falling to the floor with a sickening splat. He looked up toward Aleida, grinning with rows of razor teeth now.

"No love for your father, Aleida?" he snarled.

Aleida's eyes were wide in sheer horror; several choked breaths escaped her and Maria didn't react. The man rose and laughed gleefully, his hand erupting in a spray of gore; he was transforming into something utterly gruesome, his body swelling in size.

Maria and Aleida watched as several whip-like tendrils snapped, fingers crushed the ground beneath him. Three sets of mouths emerged that expelled foul-smelling gas. Ribbons of gray hair sprouted up in patches on the disgusting, stretched flesh.

Patients nearby scattered with frightened cries, desperate to get away from the nightmarish revenant taking shape and form in the hall.

"Gods what is this?" Aleida cried, frightened.

"A product of the Nightmare." Maria told her. "Be swift!"

Immediately, they scattered to avoid the fist that came swinging down at them. It slammed into the floor, cracking the marble. The creature screeched, pools of brown sludge forming a puddle at its feet. Maria drew her swords, jumped through the air and cleaved them through the creature's back.

Aleida struggled to avoid the snapping tails that threatened to crush her. Several swipes of the monstrosities claws came at Maria, but she flipped, jumped and rolled up the lengths of the stairs to avoid them.

"Aleida!" Maria shouted, perched on the staircase. "This creature exists because of you!"

Aleida winced, rolling away from the pool of sludge that she nearly slipped on. "I made this?!"

"Yes! Only you can be rid of it!"

"What?" Aleida cried, her voice high with disbelief. "I'm not a Hunter! I can't!"

The monstrosity before them snarled lowly, jaws forming a collection of words. Maria reacted at the noises and while she sliced at the creature's hand, she noticed that Aleida viscerally reacted at them. Something about the words seemed familiar somehow.

_"...Murderer..."_

_"...You want to be punished. Punish you..."_

_"Kill you. You want to die."_

It then hit her. The creature didn't speak the words from the Nightmare.

It projected them from Aleida.

The Nightmare had projected her father's form and everything that Aleida saw him as - toxic, vile and filthy - but it also spoke words from deep within herself. The Nightmare was forcing her to confront her sins and her guilt. Since she was no Hunter, it did so in this way; a deeper, more personal way.

_"VIRTUE MEANS NOTHING TO YOU, LITTLE WHORE!"_ the monster spat.

It rose on two legs, clutching the wall before its mouths opened, tongues waving sickeningly and it shot out an intense blast of foul smoke. Maria jumped, avoiding the blast as she leapt onto the creature's back and buried her swords in its head. A fierce shriek of wrath and pain burst from all three mouths and Aleida recoiled, avoiding the tails once more before she was struck hard with a hand and sent stumbling across the floor.

A wheezing hiss from the creature as it advanced, hands thudding heavily beneath it.

_"You deserve this..."_

Struggling to her knees, Aleida was met with the three faces while Maria fought to pull him back; unlike Aleida, she was fierce and headstrong in her fighting without a shred of fear to be had. The sludge on his fleshy, pink body made it difficult to pull her swords loose. She grunted with effort, pressed her foot down against its back and looked down at Aleida.

"Aleida, don't listen to this beast!"

_"You did this... You deserve this..."_ the heads snarled, with hatred.

"Aleida, it lies!" Maria shouted.

_"No, SHE lies. You killed me and ran like a coward."_

The creature's breath was hot against her face and she had to fight back the horrible feeling of wanting to vomit. Aleida lowered her head and began to cry softly. Maria growled lowly, tugging and forcing the monster back several paces, but it returned within several inches of Aleida once more. It was determined to make her suffer and bring her down to a level she had been before.

"No, Aleida." Maria told her. "You took back what he stole from you."

Aleida looked up now, eyes streaked with tears.

"You punished this filth as he was meant to be punished." Maria continued, "Now, the Nightmare seeks to rectify what you cannot do yourself. But I think you can. You speak his name. You take back what he took from you and you rise above it."

Aleida's wide, reddened eyes focused on the teeth in her face, the foul smell of that breath. The creature roared again, slamming its fists down nearest her body. Aleida recoiled with a flinch and Maria pulled back again, hissing with effort. She noticed the woman hadn't moved, but her clenched fists were shaking. She swallowed thickly, shuddering with several loud, panicked breaths.

"Say his name, Aleida!" Maria ordered now.

Aleida clenched her teeth, panting rapidly. She looked moments away from a nervous breakdown. Shaking harshly beneath the monster, she eventually closed her eyes and her shoulders slumped as if releasing the heaviest burden in the universe.

"Adrian..." she finally gasped out.

The creature suddenly froze, jaws slack as if locked in death. It gave a soft gurgle, then its form started flickering in and out before dispelling in a mist of black and silver. Maria landed gracefully onto her feet and they watched the mist dissipated through the air. Aleida blinked, stunned by the sight. She looked up when Maria offered her a hand and reached up to take it.

The former Hunter pulled her to her feet. "How do you feel?" Maria asked.

Aleida didn't look very certain. She frowned, looked around as if seeing the research hall for the first time. "Strange." she admitted. "I feel like..." She thought about how utterly weightless she felt, like a feeling had lifted from her chest. "I feel...lighter."

Maria studied her, trying to read the expression on Aleida's face.

She was startled when arms circled her in an embrace and Aleida rested her head across her chest. Maria felt that familiar vulnerable pang through her and she resisted an urge to push her away. Instead, she slowly returned the embrace and Aleida's soft words filled the air.

"Thank you."

O

The music that filled the research hall was a somber one.

Aleida had the phonograph playing a soft, soothing melody as she embraced a patient, who was still shaken from the attack of the creature that evening. She had made an effort to talk and comfort them and when she felt exhausted enough, she tried to sleep, but could not. So instead, she sat outside on the railing, watching the Lumenflowers below from the balcony.

Footsteps approached and she glanced back when she noticed Maria approach. "You're still awake." Maria said.

"I couldn't sleep." Aleida told her.

Maria sat down beside her and together, they watched the sky above them; the moon engulfed in clouds, like that of a drunken Hunter's eye. Maria had known always about the cursed moon and that which swallowed the Hunter's Nightmare. She always remembered it when she looked up in the sky.

"I've had much on my mind, perhaps." Aleida admitted, after a while of contemplation.

"As have I."

Aleida thought about what had happened in the research hall with her father. "How did you know that would work?" she asked, "Saying my father's name?"

Maria smiled a little. "I heard you talking with Adeline. It is perfectly understandable that the Nightmare would test your greatest weakness. You could not speak his name and you quite fervently claimed this. I suspected that once you overcame that barrier, he would disappear."

"Oh..."

The two women were silent now and Maria glanced briefly at the corner of her eye; Aleida seemed to be in thought and rubbed at her shoulder. The older woman caught the self-comforting gesture.

"Are you hurt?" she asked.

"Not really." Aleida said, shaking her head. "It's a bit sore, perhaps. But I think I'm alright."

Maria opened her mouth to say something else, but hesitated for a few moments more. "Did you truly wish to die?"

Aleida was not ready for the question given the surprised gasp that escaped her. She looked at Maria, startled by the sharp intensity of the other woman's gaze; it was a look that wanted an answer, but it was also a look of pity as well. It was one that she hadn't seen on her before.

"Well..." Aleida grew quieter now. "I think I had considered it more than once. That's why I had a doctor visit me after my mother's death. I think about it, but I find things to keep me going. Like..."

She hesitated again, dared a look at Maria. Gathering her courage was more difficult than she thought.

"Like you."

Maria felt a tight, clenching heat in her chest. Of course. Of course she would think such things. Such a yearning that came from one young and sweet in her way. Maria was reminded of the thing that had visited her that took the shape of her mother. The way she'd sneered at how Aleida would think so less of her if she knew the secrets of the Church - the same secrets that Maria had kept hidden.

"I know." Maria finally answered.

Aleida glanced at her again, uncertain of what else to say now. Maria looked at her too and they were suddenly swept up by each other's gazes; the intense focus on Maria's face and the vulnerable, nervous smile on Aleida's that gradually disappear when she realized what was happening.

Maria reached up, brushing a little lock of hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek. Aleida's eyes closed halfway and she felt her heart start to thud quickly in her chest.

Oh Gods...

A thumb lightly brushed her lower lip and Maria sighed softly, tilting her head. She studied Aleida with a sad smile; she had expected this outcome, but knew it could only end poorly for her. After all, despite her own wants and desires to have Aleida adore her, she knew it shouldn't happen.

"I know..." she repeated, quieter this time. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Still, for the first time since Sonja, Maria felt herself ignoring those warnings. She leaned closer, bringing her lips barely a breath away from Aleida's. So close. She could feel the shudder that escaped the younger woman and Aleida's lips formed words that she never thought she'd want to hear so badly.

_Please._

Maria's mouth was barely against hers and she took another second of hesitating before she finally pressed her lips to the younger woman's. She had no idea just how much she needed to feel that contact until she had it; it was very nice and Maria was pleasantly reminded of what it felt like to share a kiss with someone else in so long. She felt sensations reawakening within her that had long been forgotten in her glory days of hunting.

The contented murmur that Aleida uttered against her mouth, the way she melted into her...

It was a simple, chaste kiss between the two and Maria felt a hand against her shoulder. Aleida's tenseness had all but left her body and Maria reached down to take her hand in hers, holding it close to her chest. Her other hand slowly pulled Aleida closer to her from her waist and they simply held one another that way for what felt like an eternity.

_Eternity._

Maria pulled away first and it left Aleida's lips trailing off in wonder as to where they had gone. She felt fingertips against her lips and opened her eyes - which were glassy now. Maria's pale cheeks had seemed a shade darker in the dim light of the moon overhead. She looked breathless, as if she had run for miles without stopping.

They said nothing. Aleida was much too uncertain of what to say regardless.

Instead, they simply stayed together and watched the moon in silence.

O

Adeline was visited by Maria again much later.

Maria had not talked about the kiss with Aleida; she simply discussed recent events with the younger woman's father taking shape in the Nightmare and how Aleida had handled it. Adeline had listened silently the entire time, but she knew there was more to what the other woman was talking about.

"I don't understand it." Maria said, rubbing her forehead with one hand. "How did this come to pass?"

Adeline murmured thoughtfully, tapping her fingertips against the arm rest of the chair. Maria caught the sound and frowned at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Hm. Something occurred to me," Adeline told her. "When Aleida first trained with you. Why is it that I am the only one who knows about the real you? The one who is cloaked in the shadows of guilt."

Maria didn't see the relevance in the question. "You've been here for a very long time. I had administered your treatment to you personally. You know the true meaning of my past and sins because you've seen them."

"Aleida wants to know the true meaning of them. Why haven't you shown her?"

Maria stared at her strangely. "You know why. The secrets of the Church must not be laid bare."

"I know the secrets of the Church. So do those cursed here."

"You were once a Blood Saint."

"Yes, but Aleida is someone who you are fond of. Do not pretend she means nothing to you, my Lady. I know well what her presence here means. She is the only one living here who does not know the truth." Adeline argued, with a gentle chuckle. "Why haven't you told her? Could it be that you fear what her reaction may be?"

Maria scowled now, voice taking on a faint edge. "You assume I'm afraid?"

"No. You fear no Beast, no monster or man. But...do you fear how Aleida will look at you if she knew the truth of the Hamlet?"

Maria felt a visceral stab through her entire being at the mention of the place. She shut her eyes and a memory flashed through her head, unbidden.

_Standing among the bloodied waters of the Hamlet, surrounded by corpses covered in scales._

_Maria stared down at her hands, covered in crimson. Hands that shook and raised themselves to her face, smearing her pristine skin with blood from the inhabitants that she helped brutally slaughter. Her breath shook out of her and she gave a soft, anguished moan._

Aleida was laying asleep in the makeshift bed when Maria entered.

She approached, then knelt down and placed a hand against Aleida's arm. "Aleida?" she said.

No answer. So Maria rose and started to go, but stopped at the sound of Aleida's voice.

"Please."

She paused, looked back at her now. The woman's eyes were closed, but she quietly spoke.

"Stay with me." Aleida pleaded, softly. "Until I fall asleep."

Maria lingered in the doorway for a moment. Aleida could hear the sounds of her boots approaching, the soft sound of Maria shifting behind her and felt weight against her back. She swallowed thickly, somehow quite vulnerable with the feeling of the former Hunter pressed close against her back.

An arm slowly, almost too carefully reached around her waist. Aleida felt Maria's face pressed against her shoulder as she drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason, I thought Cate Blanchett's voice would be good for Maria's mother. (Specifically Hela from Thor: Ragnarok) I don't know why.


	6. VI

~O~

_Cainhurst had been silent that evening._

_A few nobles ate supper at the great dining tables overlooking the ocean below. Others had retired for the evening and a few more were in the library reading. Maria's mother had walked down the great corridors, the little nephew she had tended to chattering aimlessly beside her. She stopped only once at the window and peered out at the pale face of the moon._

_No one could see the Executioners of the Healing Church marching up toward the rear of the castle mere seconds as the wall was obliterated by a cannon._

_Rubble rained down on several Cainhurst Knights marching around on patrol. Fully-armed Executioners in white robes and Gold Ardeo's were led by the face of Logarius. He was wielding a scythe in one hand and a curved sword in the other._

_Cainhurst Knights charged for them and one was shot directly in the abdomen by an Executioner's Blunderbuss, ripping him open and spraying his blood across the snow._

_The sounds of chaos out in the courtyard drew the attention of the nobles. Maria's mother stared through the window, mere seconds as it was shattered from the shot of a rifle. Much to her shock, she could see the Executioners storming the castle grounds, laying waste to whatever was in their path._

_She looked up, spotting several other noble family members hurrying down the corridors in their nightclothes as they made their way to escape._

_"Hurry children!" one of them cried._

_"Mother, why are they attacking us?"_

_"The Church is cruel, my son. Now quickly! The tunnels!"_

_Below, the foyer had been overrun by Executioners. A woman screamed out her wrath as she ran at one of them with a knife drawn, but received a shot to her chest with a Blunderbuss. Outside, several of the Knights fought to kill as many of them as they possibly could; their blood weapons a strong counterpoint to the wheels and blades of the Church._

_Maria's mother could hear her son fighting the Executioners on the walls above. She quickly took her nephew's hand and hurried down the corridor toward her room. She locked the door behind her and her nephew had started crying, frightened._

_"Aunt, where's father?" he asked, between sniffles._

_"Now, my boy," she said, kneeling in front of him. "You must be brave. Hurry."_

_She began to pull a bookshelf out of the way, revealing a small doorway. Opening it, she urged the boy through. "I want you to sneak your way through the servants quarters."_

_The boy shook his head anxiously, clutching to her. "No, no, I can't - "_

_"Listen to me!" Maria's mother scolded, "You have to survive! We cannot hold them back forever, but all of you must survive. Now go!"_

_The door to her chambers shook as several bodies were thrown against it. There was a sound of pleading, a cry for mercy before a wet slice filled the air, followed by a dying gurgle. Maria's mother quickly shut the panel of the secret door and looked outside through her window._

_She could see several nobles were standing on the edge of the rooftops. They had been dressed in their finest attire and their faces were calm with acceptance. They stood for a few moments before they simply stepped off, plummeting to their death in the courtyard below._

_She knew what that meant. To take your own life was a suitable death compared to that of the Church._

_The door to her chambers shook and several voices from the Executioners filled the air. She calmly approached a dresser, opened it and put on her finest coat. She calmly brushed her hair and took a deep breath._

_"One of them is here!"_

_"Quickly, get it open!"_

_Once the door was broken open by the force of a cannon, the Executioners rushed inside, finding Maria's mother sitting at the edge of the bed and staring at the wall, ready to accept her fate._

_A hand grasped her hair, pulled her head back forcefully and she shut her eyes as a knife was leveled at her throat._

_In a quick slice, her neck was cut and her blood was spilled across her red dress._

Aleida listened to Maria tell the story of the end of the Cainhurst Nobility. She was stunned, sitting across from her on the floor of the Clocktower.

"Why did the Healing Church slaughter them?" she asked, after Maria had finished talking.

"It is said that someone from Byrgenwerth brought the Vilebloods something forbidden," Maria explained, "And that person was deemed treacherous by the Church."

"That's...terrible," Aleida couldn't fathom the depths of it. "To be killed senselessly that way for someone else's misdeeds."

Maria sighed and crossed her legs. "Well, regardless, it was going to happen. The Vilebloods drew far too much attention to themselves. They were decadent and stuck in their old, lavished ways. Whether it be the Church or something else, they would have brought chaos to them in time."

Aleida thought about it. It was something she understood, but didn't quite comprehend all at the same time.

"Were there survivors?" she finally asked.

Maria thought about it. She had heard rumors of survivors of the attack, but she hadn't really thought about it. "In truth, I cannot say." she replied. "Perhaps there had been. Perhaps they continued to have children and dilute the Cainhurst bloodlines. But it is possible."

"Ah..."

The two sat in silence; Maria watched her toy with the edge of her sword. "Would you like to train with me?" she asked.

Aleida thought about it, then glanced over her shoulder with a thoughtful smile. "I had another idea."

O

It was rather peculiar, the way the two danced that morning.

Aleida didn't talk about the kiss they'd shared or the fact that they'd slept together. Of course, Maria had been the first to awaken and patrol the research hall as necessary. But perhaps Aleida had been cautious about discussing it. She certainly seemed so when it came to feelings such as these.

It wasn't as if Maria hadn't been stunned by her own actions, either.

_This wasn't supposed to happen._

Still, the gentle waltz from the sound of the music playing in the Clocktower was rather pleasant; Aleida had chosen to drag that Gods-forsaken phonograph all the way up the flights of stairs and played a new song from it that Maria hadn't heard in quite some time. Aleida had found cylinders stored away in the room that had songs from her time.

"Should we...talk about it?" Aleida finally asked, albeit hesitantly.

Maria knew the question would come. "What would you like to discuss?"

"Well..." Aleida hesitated again. "I don't..."

Maria looked at her expectantly and Aleida seemed unable to find the proper words to express herself. She dipped the younger woman and Aleida yelped somewhat, her cheeks reddening before she giggled, unable to resist herself.

Maria blinked, eyes widening when she saw Sonja in place of her. She wasn't here in the Nightmare, but home at Castle Cainhurst with the woman she had lost.

She pulled Aleida up against her chest now and brought their lips dangerously close once again; they were practically a breath away. Aleida gave a shudder of anticipation, reaching up with two hands to lightly brush her fingertips against Maria's cheeks.

"Please..." she whispered, barely loud enough to be heard.

Maria gently took one of her hands in hers and for a moment, Aleida feared she would be pushed away and left wounded again by the rejection. Instead, Maria caressed her hand slowly, intimately. The dark look of intrigue returned to Maria's gaze, making her green eyes look almost black in the dim light of the Clocktower.

Maria leaned her forehead against Aleida's now, features pinching. "I cannot let this be..." she finally whispered.

"Why not?" Aleida breathed, lost in the feelings.

The barest contact between them sent the most scalding, pleasant sensations against the surface of her skin.

Maria shook her head slowly, disappointed by the answer. She looked at Aleida through half-lidded eyes. "You don't belong here. This is a place for the lost and the wretched; those who deserve their suffering. You cannot condemn yourself here for me...even if it's what I desire."

Aleida felt her heart skip a beat. "You...desire me?"

_"Yes."_

Maria's voice took on a pitch that could possibly be enough to make the strongest man alive blush. Aleida felt herself unable to breathe at the confirmation. She had always hoped, really; but she had never found it possible that someone like Maria would desire someone like her.

"That makes me happy." Aleida told her, with a small laugh.

Maria stared at her strangely now. "Being entrapped here pleases you?"

"If I am to be trapped, I'd rather it be so with someone whom I..." Aleida hesitated now, suddenly so very shy. "...share strong feelings for."

Maria frowned for a moment. She thought about the hallucination of her mother and the points it had made. She leaned in close again, bringing her lips against a soft shell of Aleida's ear.

"Will you continue to feel that way when this escalates?" she questioned.

Her voice was gentle, but the heat of her breath against Aleida's ear wrought forth the most exquisite shivers. Maria said _when_, not _if_.

"I..." Aleida found it difficult to speak when Maria's lips ghosted over her cheek, hovering inches from her lips. "I would feel the same. No matter the weight you carry."

Maria smiled sadly. She wasn't certain of that; after all, Aleida could very easily change her mind if she truly knew the sin she had committed. Still...

Aleida moved now and kissed the corner of Maria's mouth. The action was sweet, tender in its way and Maria sighed, turning her head to meet her lips properly.

She knew it was selfish. She knew it would end poorly.

Beyond Aleida's shoulder, Maria could see the hallucination of her mother watching her with her arms behind her back, smirking that cold, cruel smirk as she had before.

Meanwhile, the Nightmare had shifted again.

Through the rain that fell, something was moving; a hunched shape in tattered cloth with long, thin arms that wept softly alone.

O

_The shopkeeper was instantly alert that early morning when Maria stepped through his door. He immediately removed the hat that he wore and lowered his head. Maria waved a single hand at him and he smiled, setting the hat back onto his head and made his way toward the counter._

_"Ah! My Lady!" he said. "Welcome to my shop."_

_"I'm looking for something," Maria told him, "For a woman."_

_"Ah. Well, does she like anything in particular?"_

_Maria furrowed her brow. In truth, she wasn't sure. "I don't know."_

_The shopkeeper made his way around a shelf of toys before stopping in front of a few books he had sitting on one. "If she is anything like my daughter, I am sure she'll appreciate these."_

_He gathered the books and held them out to Maria. She studied the covers and titles - ah, poetry and old tales of adventure and romance. Well, Sonja seemed the sort to appreciate these. Perhaps they would do. After all, she couldn't very well just GIVE her any of the books from the Cainhurst library. They would be noticed missing._

_"Oh. Does she like sweets?" the shopkeeper asked, making his way to a counter of freshly-baked good. "Most women do enjoy things like that."_

_Maria considered his words and regarded the baked goods in question. "Hm. Alright. I'll take a few of these."_

_The shopkeeper smiled and began to gather a few tartes. "Someone special, my Lady?"_

_Maria made a face. "Something like that."_

_"Ah. The books as well?"_

_Maria glanced down at the books in her hands and nodded. "Yes. I'll take these, too."_

_She returned to the castle, passing several servants who worked to tend to her horse upon her arrival. Maria took the offerings she had purchased and started to make her way through the courtyard, but she was stopped by a nobleman, who was eager to talk to her._

_ _"Maria, you must come!" he said._ _

_ _Maria sighed impatiently, trying to move around him. "I have something I must attend to. Excuse me."_ _

_ _He stepped in her way and she frowned at him. "But they've brought a Beast! Truly, it's a magnificent specimen! You must come! There are stories to tell!"_ _

_ _Maria shook her head. "I will see to it later. I'm busy at the moment."_ _

_ _She pushed her way passed him and entered the castle, looking for Sonja. She was directed by another servant who pointed toward the library. Maria walked inside and spotted Sonja on a ladder, polishing a statue. Another servant was holding the bottom of the ladder for her._ _

_ _"Do you see it?" Sonja called down to her._ _

_ _The servant tilted her head. "I don't know. It looks spotted."_ _

_ _Maria cleared her throat, immediately drawing the attention of the two women. Sonja made her way down the ladder and the other servant girl helped her down. The two bowed their heads to Maria as she approached and Sonja dared a little glance up from the bangs of her hair._ _

_ _"Would you see to your master?" Maria told the other servant girl. "I must speak with my servant alone."_ _

_ _The servant girl bowed her head and left the library. Once she was gone, Maria turned her attention to Sonja and smiled a little._ _

_ _"Come."_ _

_ _Sonja followed Maria to her chambers and was amazed when the other woman presented her with the things she had purchased. She seemed especially thrilled by the books and Maria chuckled softly._ _

_ _"I'd assumed you'd enjoy them." she told her._ _

_ _Sonja nodded, delighted. "Yes, I do! I haven't seen these tales in ages."_ _

_ _Maria glanced down at the tartes and pushed them toward her. "These as well."_ _

_ _Sonja excitedly began to eat the offerings. Maria exhaled quietly. "I understand that I cannot court you in the way that I would one of the nobility. These were gifts that would not arouse suspicion among your fellow servants or the nobles and knights."_ _

_ _Sonja agreed with that. "Of course."_ _

_ _Maria could catch a glimpse of sadness in Sonja's eyes for a brief second before it passed as quickly as lightning. She simply smiled, shook her head and resumed eating her tarte._ _

O

Aleida was amazed at the sound of the rain.

She had no idea that it could rain here in the Nightmare, but the noise was soothing as she worked on putting the gun together. Maria had insisted that it wouldn't fire, but Aleida was certainly determined to try. Her swordsmanship was poor, after all. Maybe she just had talent in other areas.

Maria was sitting behind her, helping her fit the pieces together. "...and then you clean this piece like so..." she was saying.

Aleida took her instructions without fail. She made a face, however. "Guns have never been my strength either. Perhaps this is just a suitable distraction, I suppose. There isn't much to do in the Nightmare."

"No, I fear not." Maria agreed.

Aleida glanced back at her once. Then twice and laughed a little. "Well, there's a lovely distraction, to say the least."

Maria tilted her head at her now. She bumped her nose against Aleida's cheek for a kiss and the other woman gladly obliged. Their lips rolled against one another; long, slow and gentle before Maria leaned back in the chair, slipping an arm around Aleida's waist to hold her firmly against her chest.

Aleida gave a surprised murmur against Maria's lips, but chuckled, quite delighted by the motion. She parted after a while and noticed that familiar dark stirring in Maria's eyes. A curious wonder lit Aleida's face and she furrowed her brow thoughtfully.

What compelled her to touch Aleida and hold her so close this way was beyond Maria's comprehension. But the sound of the rain above them, coupled with the warmth of the younger woman's body against hers just returned her senses to a simpler time. Perhaps it was the moment, the willing offering up against her or the lack of contact for so long that made her act.

"Will you continue to feel the same?" Maria queried, lips barely a fraction against Aleida's.

Aleida was aware of fingertips against her chin and she noticed the questioning look on Maria's face. It asked for more that it knew it shouldn't have.

"Yes..." Aleida promised, her voice trembling with want. She didn't know exactly WHAT just yet, but that she wanted whatever Maria offered.

"Hmmm." Maria kissed the underside of her chin in soft, open-mouthed kisses that scorched the surface of Aleida's skin. "You became that sliver of light in the darkness of this Hunter's Nightmare."

"Oh?" Aleida shivered in her arms.

"Yes..."

Maria thumb brushed her lower lip and her other hand stroked her abdomen back and forth, teasing her with the promise of more. She leaned her lips close to Aleida's ear and whispered an inquiry that had Aleida nodding her head with a soft plea on her lips.

_Oh, yes._

Maria's fingers were at her belt now, teasing the waist of her trousers. Listening to Aleida's breathless sounds by her cheek gave her a bizarre feeling of eagerness that she hadn't felt in a long time.

"I thought of you this way..." Maria murmured, against her cheek now. "Here, with me. But I understand it was just a simple fantasy. It would not be real."

Aleida took her hand gently in hers. "Then make it real." She gasped, leaned her head back when those lips found her neck.

_For now, I can have you..._

She was being selfish, she knew that. But such a willing offering here in the Nightmare? One who WANTED to be touched by her? Such an irresistible thing, she was. Maria could certainly indulge in her.

Her fingers were at her belt again and she worked to undo it. It came loose after a few moments and she was able to lightly tug her shirt up and unbutton her vest in the process. Aleida responded quite readily; her hand cupped Maria's cheek and she shared a deep, passionate kiss with her.

Her lips parted, slipping her tongue inside Aleida's mouth. It skyrocketed the temperature in the room and the younger woman moaned softly, responding well to the deep intense kiss with a parting of her lips and a slip of her tongue.

Then, when she felt those gloved hands against the bare flesh of her belly, she jumped a bit, parting her lips from Maria and shook her head. "Wait."

Maria blinked, surprised by the word. "What is it?" she asked.

"I want to feel _you_, not your gloves."

Ah. Maria quietly grunted at the error. She had been so lost in Aleida's kiss, after all. How utterly silly of her. So she allowed the other woman to free one hand from her glove by simply unbuckling the clasps at the wrist. Then, with a simple tug, she set the glove onto the desk and worked to undo the other.

Once Maria's hands were free, Aleida took the time to admire those lovely, long fingers before guiding them right back where she was needed.

The warm, supple flesh at her touch, the feeling of Aleida so ready to receive her pulled at the strands of her self-control. Oh, it really had been far too long. But Maria was determined to maintain control. She gave Aleida's lower lip a small nip of her teeth, drawing a groan from the woman in her arms.

"Feel me then," she breathed, in such a dulcet, sensual purr.

Aleida felt that hand move into her trousers and both gasped softly when Maria finally touched the most sensitive part of her. Aleida arched with a whimper full of thunder and smoke, clutching at the coat of her lover with one hand. It startled her at first to be touched there for the first time in so long, but she immediately melted into it.

Maria silenced her sounds with another firm kiss to her lips as she took the moment to stroke her gently with two fingers. Her free hand slipped up beneath her shirt to cup one of her breasts, fondling the soft flesh and feeling the hardened nipple stab at her palm. She rubbed it with her thumb and Aleida's breath hitched at the stimulation before she parted, leaning her head back against Maria's shoulder. She chewed her lower lip before reaching down at the hand that caressed her, guiding her in a circular rhythm that seemed to draw a new, pleased groan from her throat.

"Hmm?" Maria queried wordlessly, kissing the back of her ear.

Well, the other woman certainly had a difficult time trusting her voice at the moment, so she settled for nodding mutely and rolling her hips in time with her motions. She needed more. So much more. This felt wonderful, but it was getting her nowhere.

Fortunately, Maria lifted her knee a little and draping it over her thigh to spread her open properly before warning her with a soft whisper.

"Now."

And with that, she slipped two fingers up into the woman. Aleida clenched her teeth with a sharp hiss, arching toward the fingers that filled her.

"_Gods_, yes!" she bit out.

She clenched tightly around Maria's fingers and the older woman pulled her shirt open with her free hand to better give her access to her skin. She ran that hand across her collar bone, murmuring appreciatively before raising an eyebrow at Aleida as she tried to get the most out of those fingers inside of her.

"Don't be greedy," Maria chastised. "I want it to last." She fixed her teeth into Aleida's shoulder once she was able to pull her shirt down against her elbows. "Can you last longer than a few minutes?"

Aleida obediently stilled her hips from twitching too much. She gave a strangled laugh in response. "Ah... I don't..." she struggled to speak. "I don't know. It feels..._oh_...so good."

"Really." Maria couldn't resist the trill of approval. "Well, are you certain? I can do much more than let you rut on my hand."

She began to inch her fingers out and Aleida groaned with disappointment, but gasped out when she felt them fill her again, though much harder than the first time. Gods, it was far too slow, but it gave her the chance to appreciate how utterly lovely and long those fingers were inside of her.

Kissing her neck and sucking her skin had Aleida melting into her and leaning her head to the side to give her better access. The woman reached back with one hand and held Maria's head right there at her neck, just where she wanted.

Maria continued to move that delightfully long finger in and out of her, watching the way the woman's eyes darkened and lips parted. Her eyelashes fluttered and she began to breathe deeply. Thumbing her nipple with her free hand, had a rather shameless whimper roll itself from Aleida's throat.

"M-Maria," Aleida finally groaned out. "Please."

"What do you want?" Maria crooned, against her ear, "I want to hear it from you."

"I want..." Aleida moaned, trying to get the most of the sensations by twitching her hips, to which Maria stilled with her free hand. She gave a rather unflattering moan of protest before she finally answered. "I want you to finish me."

"Then finish you shall."

Maria's hand moved harder. Faster. Aleida almost cried out too loudly, but slapped a hand over her mouth to keep herself from being heard by Adeline just below. The woman holding her continued the relentless thrust of her fingers, sucking the skin of Aleida's shoulder enough that a generous mark would be left.

She used her thumb to circle her clit, urging her on dangerously close to completion. She could feel her muscles tightening around her fingers, and could hear the slick sounds of her sex grow wetter, several sweet whimpers she tried to stifle filled the air.

Yet something held Aleida back, keeping her from finishing and enjoying it. Maria leaned close to her ear, whispering an encouragement to help her along.

"Squeeze, Aleida," she crooned. "Give it a little push."

Aleida focused and clenched her inner muscles as tightly as she could upon Maria's order. Well, it was enough to send her over the edge with a soft shriek that was abruptly silenced by Maria's mouth over hers again.

She inched her fingers out of her, rubbed soothing circles against her folds and waited for Aleida to take a few calming breaths before the younger woman spoke first.

"Oh my." she breathed. "I was quick...forgive me. It's simply...been a while."

Maria smiled thinly in response. It had been a while for her as well, but things seemed to have been good enough for Aleida.

Aleida adjusted herself now, turned and straddled Maria's lap to properly face her. The older woman looked surprised by the action, but only for a moment. Aleida's hands mapped Maria's chest and slipped into the long coat; she seemed unsure of where to begin, but a little more confident than she had been.

Maria murmured when Aleida leaned down to kiss her. Her hands slipped up to hold the younger woman flush against her before she uttered a few breathless words of wonder.

"Why do you adore me so?"

Aleida paused, looked down at her and caressed her cheeks with a few gentle fingers. "What isn't there to adore?"

Maria's gaze softened a little. The dear woman didn't comprehend truly the thing she was. She saw merely the surface, but...

Maria sighed softly, stroking the bare skin of Aleida's back beneath her shirt. She buried her face between Aleida's breasts, taking in a soft inhale to imprint the smell and feel of her into her mind. Aleida murmured with delight, running her hand through Maria's hair.

"The Nightmare. I must finally be going mad..." Maria said, lifting her head. 

Aleida laughed a little. "No. No, you're quite sane."

Maria met her gaze and something change at those words; the look that crossed her face, the darkening of her green eyes and the surprised parting of her lips. She slipped her hands beneath Aleida's backside and stood up, carrying the younger woman to the makeshift bed nearby.

Aleida gave a startled sound, but grinned and wrapped her arms around Maria's shoulders. She was still not quite used to the other woman's inhuman strength sometimes, but this was MUCH better than before. She was laid down into the bed and Maria settled herself on top of her.

The weight of the older woman, coupled with the warmth of the contact between them comforted Aleida and gave her a sense of safety she hadn't felt with another person in Gods only knew how long. Maria seemed to be enjoying herself, at least; given the dark stirring in her gaze and the regal smile on her face.

"May I?" Aleida finally asked, glancing down, at the still-reasonably clothed woman.

Maria leaned closer to her throat. "You have to ask? Really?"

Aleida laughed softly. "Of course."

She slid her hand into Maria's coat, working her fingers into the buttons of a vest beneath. The truly complicated part of Maria's attire were the belts around her waist that kept the long coat together. Once those were off, she was able to unfasten a few clasps, work the great coat from her until she was kneeling in her shirt, vest and trousers.

The material felt quite fancy, Aleida had thought as she slipped a few buttons off and loosened the cravat a little. Once she was able to reach into Maria's shirt and touch her bare skin, the older woman murmured her approval at the contact, closing her eyes.

"Have you thought of me like this?" Aleida asked.

"What?" Maria's eyes opened and she gave her a strange look. Why had she stopped now?

"Have you thought of me?" Aleida repeated, looking at her curiously now. She couldn't resist.

"Yes." Maria admitted, after a moment of appreciating the fingers that teased through her scalp. "When you came to the tower a few days ago. I thought of you this way."

The younger woman seemed to thrill at the thought of it. It brought a dark blush to her cheeks. "Really?"

Now it was Maria's turn to blush. She huffed, attempting a semblance of stoicism. "I don't make a habit of sharing my lustful thoughts with others. Honestly, don't look at me that way."

Aleida giggled, unable to resist herself. She rubbed a hand through her hair, teasing the ribbon that held it up in place. Once she undid it, she gave a soft sound of amazement at how utterly breathtaking Maria looked with her hair draped over her face.

Her fingers cupped Maria's cheeks, thumbs stroking. Their eyes met and Maria looked at Aleida with such intensity that she had to resist the urge to look away.

"Shy, now?" Maria whispered, close to her ear.

Aleida chuckled nervously. "No. I'm just...not certain if I would be capable of pleasing you the way you have me." she admitted.

Maria blinked once. Twice.

She straightened, took Aleida's hand and without a moment of hesitation, slipped it right into her trousers. Between her thighs. Aleida gasped when she felt the slick heat in her fingers; having waited had made the older woman far wetter than she ever thought she'd be for her.

"There. Now touch me." Maria breathed, her voice somewhat shallow. She licked her lips in anticipation.

Aleida was spurred on by the words from the older woman. She began to stroke her in the way that she had liked, earning barely any reaction from Maria, save for a few breathless sounds before she lowered her head into Aleida's shoulder.

The younger woman tucked Maria's hair aside with her free hand and kissed the skin of her neck. The combined stimulation made Maria hiss, teeth clenching. Aleida was delighted by the response and sucked her neck slightly, earning a soft growl of appreciation.

She'd never heard such sounds from Maria, but quickly grew addicted to them. Her hand rubbed back and forth against the warm wetness of her lover before her fingers slipped up into her. Maria gasped softly but heatedly, fingers clutching the space near Aleida's head.

Aleida still felt unsure if she could please her properly - and it had been so long since she had a companion in her bed - but she had explored her own body enough to know what she liked. She began to thrust her fingers up into the older woman on top of her; the hot breath of Maria's gasps near her ear were so utterly sweet and erotic that she couldn't help but want to give her more. To see just how many sounds she could spew forth from her lips.

"Do you like it?" Aleida breathed, against her ear.

"Yes. Ah, curl your fingers..." Maria gasped, fingers clenching.

Aleida curled her fingers upon her request and Maria sucked in air sharply. She didn't seem to be very vocal during intimacy, but the younger woman found that she didn't mind, especially with the way Maria panted softly near her ear, occasionally kissing the space beneath it.

She was attempting to maintain that control, but Aleida wanted to see her finish; to enjoy the sight of her stoic, proud former Hunter lost in the throes of ecstasy. Her hand didn't stop the rhythm of her fingers inside of her and she could hear Maria's panting coming faster and faster.

"Yes?" Aleida murmured.

"Yes...!" Maria groaned.

She began to utter soft words against Aleida's ear, voice coming higher and faster with every movement of the younger woman's hand. When the former Hunter finally let herself fall, she simply stiffened with a tight shout, muffled in the space between her neck and shoulder.

Aleida kissed her cheek and continued to soothingly rub the place between her legs before inching her fingers out of her. Maria took a moment to catch her breath and lifted her head to meet the other woman's eyes. Aleida had rarely been blessed to see such beautiful things in her life, but the sight of Maria looking at her so relaxed from finishing was the most exquisite thing she had ever seen.

Maria's lips parted and she uttered Aleida's name so quietly, it was almost inaudible. She closed her eyes and Aleida kissed her gently on her lips before leaning her forehead against hers.

Aleida's hands went around her waist and Maria rested her head across her chest, ignoring the sharp feeling of vulnerability that came after she had allowed herself to bed the younger woman. She had never felt so content in such a long, long time.

She allowed Aleida to run her fingers through her hair and the sensation relaxed her. Not a single word was said between them.

Aleida was afraid that speaking would ruin the moment they shared. So she settled for the silent afterglow of their union instead.

Maria also ignored the hallucination of her mother standing by the door of the room, hands behind her back with that same cruel smile as before.

_You'll lose her as you've lost so many others._

_You know this._

_Deep down inside, I think you do._


	7. VII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by "Knocking on Heaven's Door" by RAIGN

~O~

_"Oh Gods. Why. What have we done?"_

_"Please, have mercy! Have mercy upon us..."_

_The water was red._

_Maria walked down the tattered path of blood and bodies with Micolash by her side. He was chattering excitedly, scribbling notes in a book. The man was like a child, delighting himself on the newest discoveries while the dead and dying around him sobbed and moaned. She couldn't look away._

_There was blood on her cravat and she made an effort to clean it with one hand. It was red. Far too red. Far too pure._

_"Maria!" Micolash's voice interrupted her thoughts._

_She looked at him and he grinned happily. "Do you not see it?" he exclaimed, "Are you not happy? These people were greedy and blind to their lives! The grand lake of mud, hidden now, from sight. Until now."_

_Maria couldn't take her eyes off of a woman covered in slimy green sores. She was holding something in her arms as she wept softly. She blinked and finally looked away, unable to look at the tormented, twisted face of fangs and eyes staring at her imploringly._

_"Micolash!"_

_A Hunter was running up to them, his eyes widening with awe and excitement. "Come! Come, you must see! We've found something wonderful!"_

_The sheer joy on the Hunter's face was something Maria could only compare to a child receiving a gift from their parents. He was even running away already to lead them deep below through a cavern. Several bodies had been lying strewn about, broken and bloodied dolls._

_A fisherman with a body covered in shells raised two hands toward a nearby Hunter, pleading for mercy. "Oh, please!" he begged, "Don't kill me!"_

_Maria looked away sharply, mere seconds at the sound of flesh cutting, a gurgle and then silence._

_They walked onto the beach and Micolash gasped._

_She looked and saw it too, her eyes slowly widening._

_The shape of the Great Mother was lying there on the beach. A large blend of a fish, a mollusk, and even a human woman, all with bright white skin and blue scales. Its dimensions were almost the size of a small ship and Maria could not take her eyes from it._

_"Mother Kos!" Micolash exclaimed, his voice high and wild with glee._

_Gehrman was kneeling before the form, his hand running across the blue skin of Kos. Maria was unable to look away as they approached. Micolash was awestruck, overwhelmed by joy at the sight of the Great One. Maria didn't want to see any more and turned, but Micolash put a hand on her shoulder._

_"Wait!" he exclaimed, "Don't you want to see what happens next?"_

_Gehrman's eyes widened now. "She's with child!"_

_"What?" Maria and Micolash spoke together, unable to fathom such a thing._

_"The child!" Micolash cried, quickly rushing to Gehrman's side. "Cut it out! CUT IT OUT!"_

_Maria frowned now, reaching out. "Wait." she said, "A corpse should be left well alone. We shouldn't debase a - "_

_The sick sound of flesh cutting interrupted her and she watched with horror as Gehrman utilized his scythe to carve through the swollen belly of Kos. He looked at her gravely as he tore his way into Kos' abdomen._

_"This is what we were trained for," he reminded her. "We seek the truth. We find the truth. No matter how gruesome it is."_

_Maria shook her head, watching as he slipped his hands through the thick, bloodied mess of Kos' belly. "No, no, we do not do this. We - "_

_The sound of wailing pierced the air like a knife, causing Maria to shield her ears with two hands. White blood shot everywhere, spraying Gehrman's coat and face. His eyes widened and Micolash immediately went to his side to see what emerged with his hands._

_A squirming, wailing thing._

_[No, no, no. This wasn't right.]_

_[Please. This can't be what I fought for...]_

_A creature. A Great One, it must have been. But the paintings and the books spoke nothing of what Maria had see. It's head was long, eyeless and ribbons of veins circled the hideous, frightening skull. Its mouth opened and it shrieked again._

_Micolash quickly took his robe and began to undo the buttons. "Take it back!" he gasped. "We must take it back to Provost Willem! It's... beautiful."_

_His voice shook with madness and glee and he stroked the infant with one hand._

_Maria was slowly shaking her head, unable to fathom the gruesome sight. The infant was crying softly, but its cries seemed to die down the moment Micolash had begun making small, soothing noises with his lips. Gehrman watched as she departed and his features filled with sadness._

_"Beautiful...beautiful butterfly..." Micolash sighed, with all the joy of a child._

Maria and Aleida sat together on the roof of the balcony, overlooking the garden below. The sight was calming, in its way, despite the twisted sky above them. Maria had talked about her life in Cainhurst while wanting to truly talk to her about what had happened. But she couldn't. She wouldn't.

Not yet.

"Sonja sounds like she was a lovely woman." Aleida finally said. "I'm sorry she didn't get to live. It wasn't fair that happened to you."

Maria sighed quietly. She said nothing.

Then, she glanced down at the contact of Aleida's hands on hers; the way it caressed and touched her fingers so intimately.

Maria met her gaze and Aleida leaned into her shoulder. "What do we do now?" Aleida asked, quietly.

"I don't know." Maria replied. An honest answer enough.

In truth, she didn't.

_Still, I have you now._

Aleida smiled when she was embraced slowly, albeit hesitantly. She felt comfort in the warmth of the other woman, despite how utterly strange and new their experience together had been. She didn't know if this would change anything, for good or for bad. Still, right now, she was content.

"There are things you know little of here in the Nightmare and why it exists," Maria said. "It's to punish those who have earned their suffering."

Aleida nodded. "Yes, I know."

"But you don't. Not truly." Maria told her. "Why I remain is worse than you can possibly imagine. And I - "

Aleida shook her head and placed a few fingertips against her lips. Maria shut her eyes, sighed through her nose and took a moment before she looked down at Aleida.

"It's all right. You don't need to tell me." Aleida assured her. "I understand it was horrible. I don't know what it was, but it was what brought you here. What keeps you here. You don't owe me an explanation for it. Just let me see you as you are."

Maria stared at her, gauging her sincerity before she shook her head slowly. Aleida stared at her sadly now.

"Why not?" she asked.

Maria was silent, not answering for a what felt like an eternity. "I simply cannot."

Later that day, Aleida listened to the sounds of the rain from inside her room. It seemed to be falling much harder this time and yet, granted her a moment of reprieve.

_"Mother is dead, her baby, taken."_

Aleida blinked at the words carried in the air. She walked out of her room, to the balcony and found Maria gone. Perhaps she needed some time to herself. She could understand, but it still left her wanting. She knew that Maria was not particularly the sort for romantic gestures, but she longed to be embraced, at least.

Where had that voice come from?

Aleida heard soft weeping coming from behind a door on the balcony. She approached it slowly, cautiously and reached out, but stopped herself.

_"Scales are suffering, the grief of Kos."_

_"Do you hear it? A sealess void, the lair of beasts. Where the blood-crazed roam."_

The door opened with a low, grinding creaking sound. Aleida stared at it for a moment before she heard soft weeping and finally, stepped through the door.

O

Maria was sitting before Adeline as they talked about Aleida.

"I had heard," Adeline replied, with a smile in her voice. "I am happy for you both."

Maria sighed, toying with the armrest of her chair. "I don't know how this will end. It never ends well, you know this. Aleida doesn't belong in the Nightmare. That is how it works."

"She adores you, Lady Maria. Is that enough?"

Maria thought about it for the longest time. In truth, her first answer would have been 'no'. Adeline seemed to sense something was wrong.

"My Lady, you don't seem happy with such a development." she said. "This may be what you need."

"Need?"

"To be free."

Maria rose, then glanced over her shoulder. "Where is Aleida? It's been far too quiet. I haven't endured her flute music for hours."

"She was walking to the balcony, I believe." Adeline replied, mild concern in her voice.

Maria frowned, then left the room and exited the research hall, outside where she spotted a wide-open door occasionally flapping against the wall. Her eyes widened and she made her way toward it, peering through and spotting a small farm in the distance.

Squinting, she noticed the small shape of Aleida on the horizon, walking toward it.

"Aleida!" she shouted.

O

Aleida was trembling, but it wasn't from the rain that poured down upon her head, drenching her in icy cold.

The farm was here.

How was the farm here?

She saw the pigs grazing in their pen, ignoring her as she walked up the steps, onto the cheaply made porch. The smells...the sights...

"I'm home?" she wondered, "That cannot be. It..."

"Aleida?"

She seized, a small, yet strangled gasp escaping her. She couldn't stop her feet from walking into the farmhouse. A figure was resting in front of a crackling fireplace. Aleida's voice shook and she whimpered with despair as the shape rose, revealing itself to be her mother.

Justine.

She was as Aleida remembered before her illness - long black hair, soft brown eyes and gentle smile. She wore the same farm clothes that Aleida had buried her in.

She remembered the mud on the dress...

"Mother!" Aleida exclaimed, approaching with two hands outreached, "It's... It can't be you! You died of illness!"

Justine reached out now and put her arms around Aleida, pulling her close. Aleida immediately felt herself melting into the embrace, unable to stop her tears. The smell of her, the way she held her was just as she remembered.

_It's wrong._

Aleida heard the warning in her mind, felt the uncertainty. But to be held by her mother after losing her for so long...

"It's really you..." Aleida moaned, pulling away to caress her mother's cheeks.

Justine smiled at her, returning the touch. "Yes. Me." she told her. "Do you remember me? This way? Or in my final hours?"

Aleida's eyes widened in horror as Justine now stood before her, body covered in sores and blood staining the collar of her dress.

_From when she had coughed up blood._

Justine looked up at Aleida with a sad smile. "Is this a more accurate picture of me?"

"No..." Aleida moaned, shaking her head back and forth, rebuking the image. "I tried, mother!"

"Not hard enough, it seems." Justine answered, "You knew that Yharnam supplied the blood needed to save me. But you didn't go, did you?"

"I-I tried to help you, mother!" Aleida's voice trembled, "I did try, but your illness it was - "

"Did you? Or was it you who killed me?"

Aleida looked down at her hands and was horrified to find broken glass shards in them. There was medicine that stained her palms and the glass.

"You fed me so much medicine, even though deep down you knew it wouldn't save me." Justine continued, with a sad smile. "But MAYBE that was what you wanted all along."

Aleida sobbed helplessly, shaking her head. Tears poured down her cheeks. "Mother, I loved you! I tried! Please, believe me there was nothing I could - "

She looked down now, horrified at a syringe in her hand. Justine raised an eyebrow and glanced down at her arms that were peppered with holes where she had been injected many times. Aleida gasped out several anguished cries and she was forced forward several steps.

"Oh yes. I forgot about the injections." Justine replied, with a sigh of dismay. "How many of those did you give me? Hm. Let's count, shall we?"

Aleida's arm was forced to take Justine's hand and plunge the syringe into it with the other, filled with black fluid that seemed to bubble and swirl with yellow. She shrieked with pain and grief, but Justine calmly smiled at her and shook her head.

"Darling, that was just one." she continued. "Oh, you're crying? Why?" She gave an indifferent shrug. "It hurts you more than it does me."

Aleida was crying. "Mother, please!" she begged, as the syringe in her hand filled with more hideous black fluid on its own. "I had to try to save you! I had no choice! They-They said I could - "

Once more, her arm was forced to plunge the needle into Justine's arm.

"That's two." Justine calmly continued, with that same disappointed look. "Do you truly believe that, Aleida? That nothing you do is without consequence?"

Aleida shook her head and gave a helpless moan as the syringe once more filled with fluid and she was forced to plunge it into her mother's arm again. She wailed now, leaning against her while Justine stood as rigid as a statue. She shook her head and listened to Aleida's grieving sounds.

"Three." she said.

O

Maria made her way through the mire of the farm land, stepping through mud and insects. She could hear whispers around her from the Nightmare as it bent itself to shape what was sure to be Aleida's suffering. She was no Hunter, so the Nightmare was adapting to her presence and sure to punish her again.

She had destroyed her father's influence. Who was truly left? Her mother?

More whispers and Maria stopped, her eyes scanning the area. She could see shadows around her, broken images of her past that had come to taunt her as they often did. She ignored them when she heard Aleida's agonized sobs coming from the farmhouse.

She rushed up the steps and shoved her way through the door, finding the broken image of Justine and Aleida plunging the syringe into her arm again.

And again.

And again.

"Fifteen..." Justine said, quietly; she counted every single one, "Sixteen...seventeen..."

"Aleida!" Maria shouted.

Aleida seemed to snap back to reality at Maria's voice and turned her wide, tear-soaked face toward the other woman. She sobbed brokenly, dropping the syringe onto the floor.

"M-Maria, look!" she whimpered, "Look what I've done!"

"Aleida, enough!" Maria stepped between them, pushing the younger woman away from the false image of her mother. "This thing isn't your mother. It's a lie created by the Nightmare to punish you. This rain... This image of your mother is your own torment."

Aleida didn't seem so certain.

Maria took Aleida's shoulders in her hands and forced her to look at her. "Aleida, this is a realm forged of your guilt."

Aleida shook her head with a helpless sound and looked down at the syringe that appeared in her hand again. She cried as she was forced to push Maria's shoulder aside, grab Justine's arm and plunge it again in her arm. Again, no reaction from her mother. Just a cold, indifferent smile. Maria scowled now, swatting the syringe from her hand when it appeared again.

"I killed her! I could have done more!" Aleida choked out her words through her tears, "I didn't and she's dead..."

She started to go toward Justine once more, but was stopped by Maria taking her wrist in her hand. "She was ill and you did so much to save her. I know of your kindness and your will to help others." she insisted, scowling now with determination. "This Justine isn't real. We must go!"

She started to go to the door, but Aleida hadn't followed. Instead, she dropped the syringe that had appeared in her hand and a sorrowful smile came to her face.

"I see." Aleida said, her tone low now, as if she was caught in a trance. The Nightmare had begun influencing her once more. "I can be here where I deserve. Not real? What does that matter? I tried to help her and I made things worse."

"Aleida?" Maria approached her. "Aleida."

She smiled happily, her expression dreamy. "I can stay with her."

Justine smiled at her now and reached up, cupping Aleida's cheeks soothingly. "That's right, Aleida. This is what you've earned. You must face that now."

Maria saw it then; Justine was no longer covered in sores and blood, but she resembled a frightening, blue-skinned monster with an eyeless skull, tattered hair and long claws. Aleida wouldn't see it. She would only see her beloved mother.

"Aleida? Aleida," she said, firmly. "Come. You will now be swallowed by your own guilt the way that I was."

She took Aleida's arm, but the woman resisted. She struggled and Maria was left with no choice but to wrap her arms around her waist in an effort to pull her away.

"Aleida? Aleida, you cannot abandon me again," Justine moaned, hauntingly as she struggled to keep their hands together, but Maria promptly pried them apart. "Please. Not again."

"No. No, no, Maria," Aleida begged, her voice rising desperately as she struggled in her arms. "Please, don't!"

But Maria ignored her pleas, clenching her teeth with effort as she pulled the wailing woman out of the farmhouse. She slipped over the mud a few times, moments as a low, horrible screech pierced the air from the house. The two women looked up, just in time to see an enormous, clawed arm burst through the door.

The two watched, stunned as Justine emerged from the house; a transformed creature without legs that crawled on long, spider-like arms. Long, black ribbons of hair draped over the creature's eyeless face. It screamed in a frightening voice and crawled toward them.

Whispers filled the air that Aleida and Maria couldn't make out; streams of sorrowful words, agonized moans and pleas that resonated from the transformed Justine. Fresh blood poured from her twisted mouth and pooled down the length of her body.

"Gods!" Aleida cried.

"It's not real," Maria whispered, in her ear, "It's not real, like your father. You can best it just like before!"

Aleida whimpered, seemingly unsure. "I-I don't know..."

"You CAN." Maria insisted, with firm resolve, "You can best it and you WILL."

Aleida met her eyes through her rain-drenched hair and tear-streaked cheeks. Somehow, the strength in the older woman's expression gave her hope.

As it had before.

The creature gave another unholy screech before lunging toward them, crawling through the mud and grime. Aleida and Maria quickly separated to avoid being brought down by the claws swinging. Aleida had stumbled in the mud and fell flat on her face.

Justine turned, giving a haunting roar. _"Last chance, Aleida. What am I?"_

She struggled to her feet, but a heavy hand grabbed her, lifting her off of the ground. Maria drew her sword and it separated, but Aleida looked at her with a cry.

"Wait!" she shouted.

Maria stared at her, eyes widening. "What?"

_"Tell me, Aleida..."_ The creature hissed as it brought its eyeless face up to her. _"This is your moment of truth! Who am I? Am I your mother? A monster? Or am I your guilt? Crushing the life you because you cant get over the fact that I'm dead, that YOU feel responsible. Why do you keep fighting me?"_

Aleida trembled and her voice shook before she finally answered. "Because you were my mother. You gave me everything; hope, love, and acceptance. If I let that go, I'll have nothing."

Aleida was dropped when Justine opened her hand. She fell into the mud and looked up the moment the creature opened its arms before her. Its teeth parted with a fierce hiss and it lunged, mere moments before Aleida drew her sword and screamed.

A sticky sound of flesh tearing, followed by a wet groan.

Aleida's eyes opened and she gasped, horrified at the sight of her sword embedded deep in Justine's head. The creature shuddered, spitting blood and black ooze from her face. Finally, she gave a long, deep sigh and her body began to crumble to mush.

Aleida and Maria watched in stunned silence as the creature was reduced to nothing more than a pile of ooze before them.

A final dying sigh carried through the air before the rain stopped.

_"Good..."_

O

Aleida couldn't stop shivering.

She was wrapped up in sheets, sitting in front of a fireplace that Maria had built for her to keep warm and dry her clothes. She too had undressed and sat beside Aleida while they watched the fire. They were quiet for a while and simply took in the comforting silence after what had happened.

"Are you cold?" Maria asked.

"A bit," Aleida admitted, "But it's warming better."

Maria reached into her blankets to take her hands in her own. She rubbed them firmly to grant her warmth and Aleida smiled a little. She thought of how peculiar it felt to have this happen, even after they'd bedded one another, but she yearned for it either way.

"You've done well," Maria told her. "I admit, I was concerned at first."

Aleida chuckled a little. "Concerned for me?"

"Perhaps."

The stoic look on Maria's gaze never faltered, but a warmth came to her eyes as quick as lightning. She stopped caressing Aleida's hands and opted for conversation now.

"Your guilt for what became of your mother..." Maria thought of it. "Perhaps they are the same in me."

"Really?" Aleida asked.

"Yes." Maria hesitated once again. "The Nightmare torments me as I well deserve. I have done...unspeakable things in the name of a cause I once believed in. Sonja's image haunts my waking hours. You do not see it because I keep you from seeing it."

Aleida's features clouded in thought. Maria anticipated an abrupt reaction from her. She assumed Aleida would be disappointed. But instead, the younger woman shook her head and looked back at her now.

"You will face them at your own pace," she told her. "It is not my place to judge nor assume I have a right to your past."

Maria was silent again for a moment. "Do you want - "

"Please. I don't want to speak of it." Aleida interrupted, shutting her eyes tightly. "Let me forget what happened. It's too much to think about right now. Just...please."

Maria nodded once, but said nothing more.

Aleida shifted to be closer to her and Maria slipped one hand around her shoulders, pulling her close for a kiss against her cheek. Aleida murmured appreciatively and the sound intrigued Maria to touch her lips down the length of her neck. Her skin was still a little damp from the rain.

"It stopped raining," Aleida sighed, leaning her head to one side to grant her better access. "It's quiet tonight."

Maria smiled against her ear. "It is indeed."

"Just...let me forget. Please." Aleida sounded tired, though her voice was slightly strained with need. She turned her head to kiss Maria's lips. "Please."

A sudden stab of want filled Maria's belly. "Yes..." she whispered, in the soft space beneath Aleida's ear.

Her hand began to rub up and down her abdomen and Aleida leaned her head back against her shoulder. It was a wordless confirmation as she opened her legs only a little to allow Maria's hand to move further south. She met her gaze and her own had darkened with a glimmer of arousal as Maria's hand cupped her beneath the sheets.

Maria began to draw aching circles against Aleida's sex; she didn't take her eyes away and Aleida's soft, pleased breaths filled the room.

Two fingers slipped between her soft, sensitive lips, rubbing the bud of her clit. She was warm and already quite wet, betraying her arousal and her fingers clutched Maria's knee, kneading with every caress the older woman gave her. Maria whispered something that she couldn't make out over the blood roaring in her ears.

Aleida's brow furrowed with focus. Her lips parted and Maria leaned down to lightly ghost her lips over hers. She rubbed her hand slowly up and down against Aleida's dripping center before slipping an arm beneath her leg; lifting to better angle her properly before slipping two fingers gently into her.

Aleida leaned her head back with a soft groan and felt Maria press her lips against hers. Maria stroked her fingers in and out of her a few times before Aleida parted from her with a heavy gasp, allowing Maria to brush her lips down the length of her neck and shoulder.

"Lay on your back." Maria whispered, scraping her teeth against the younger woman's chin.

"What?" Aleida felt her senses returning. "I - Oh, all right."

Maria carefully removed her fingers from her, drawing a disappointed sound from Aleida. But she adjusted herself and moved so that she could lie down in the makeshift bed. Maria watched her with a smirk on her face, waiting until Aleida looked comfortable before she climbed on top of her, straddling her hips.

It gave Aleida the chance to finally look at her without clothes for the first time.

She had scars from years of Beast Hunting; one in particular looked to have come from a set of claws that slashed her from her shoulder down to her left breast. She sat up and Maria started to protest, but Aleida's fingertips tracing her shoulder cut her off.

"Oh my..." Aleida murmured, "Such scars."

Maria gave a small chuckle. "It would be strange if any Hunter walked out of a fight with a Beast unscathed."

"Indeed." Aleida agreed.

Her fingertips teased the darker skin of her nipple, puckering the skin to hardness. Maria hissed softly when Aleida rubbed her thumb across it in aching circles. She enjoyed the contact for a few moments more before taking Aleida's hand and guiding her right back down onto her back.

"Oh!" Aleida gave a surprised, yet delighted sound.

Maria adjusted her hips a little, cupping her backside to bring Aleida's thigh between her legs; it also allowed Maria to push her thigh between hers as well. The stimulating friction teased the hyper sensitive bud of her clit against Maria's leg.

The older woman smirked when Aleida gasped heatedly, gently grinding against her thigh. The act coaxed a fresh gush of excitement across her skin.

"Well then, now who's dripping all over me?" Maria hissed.

Aleida gave a strained laugh in response. "I can't help it, really."

Maria gave a rumble of amusement. She spread her legs a little so that she could bring their centers together, slipped one arm beneath her left leg so that it angled her just right. When Aleida realized what she intended, she wriggled a little to help find the appropriate position before circling her arms around her waist.

It took a little more adjusting; Aleida cupped Maria's cheeks now, refusing to take her eyes away when the woman began to rock her hips. Aleida's fingers clutched her sides now and she groaned out her approval and encouragement, eyes closing with a hiss.

"No, look at me," Maria rasped.

Aleida's eyes opened and she let out a low moan, features pinching as she lost herself to the sensation; she unconsciously rocked her hips up into Maria's movements. Her fingers trailed pink paths down her back and Maria hissed softly through clenched teeth.

There was something about the way Aleida looked at her; the adoration, the need in her eyes. Something about it brought Maria a sense of comfort that she craved. Lost in those dark eyes, Maria held her face and rocked harder into her, spurred on to finish.

Aleida's hands smoothed a path up her shoulders before she too held Maria's face in her hands; she moaned her name so quietly, Maria would have missed it if she hadn't been so close to her.

"Aleida," she breathed, fingers brushing against the younger woman's cheeks.

"Oh yes..." Aleida whispered. "Gods, I'm - "

"Yes." Maria nipped her lower lip. "Show me."

Aleida was close; her fingers clenched, kneading Maria's thighs for a few moments. "Oh, yes… I'm there - I'm there…"

Throat tightening, Aleida forgot her desire to hold her gaze. She leaned her head back, features twisting with a low, rapturous moan of Maria's name. She stiffened, clutched Maria tightly and finally came. The arch of her hips, the lovely rise of her breasts with that deep inhalation that followed was so utterly shameless that Maria felt herself tilt right over the edge with her with a deep grunt of satisfaction.

She collapsed on top of the younger woman, utterly spent. Arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. Both uttered deep, thick chokes of breath as they spent time collecting themselves.

"Mmm…" Maria sighed.

"Mmm." Aleida mimicked affectionately.

"Hush." Maria murmured, too amiable to be truly annoyed.

She peered up at her from her chest and Aleida smiled tenderly down at her. Maria's skin was still flushed a rosy hue and she took another moment to catch her breath. Then, she glanced down and her lips parted in surprise.

"Your leg."

Aleida blinked, looked down at the reddened markings left from Maria's fingers on her thigh. There would be bruises left, for certain. "Mm, yes. But it's no bother," she replied, "I'm far too relaxed."

"I was too rough with you." Maria sighed.

"No! No, no, it was wonderful!" Aleida insisted, shaking her head and kissing her cheek. "I don't mind, really."

"You're such a strange one." Maria replied, rolling onto her side now.

She propped her head up with one arm, tracing her fingertips down the length of Aleida's side when the younger woman also rolled to face her. Her fingertips stopped at a scar on Aleida's backside. She frowned and tilted her head, leaning forward to see it better.

Aleida leaned into her now. "It's such an amazing thing that I would find you here in the Nightmare." she told her. "My savior and my dear consort."

"Consort?" Maria made an amused sound. "What an unusual idea."

"Why?"

"You want me to court you? Is that what you're aiming at?"

Aleida giggled, unable to stop herself. She hid her face in her shoulder. "You flatter me much." she said.

"Oh, honestly." Maria muttered. "You must always take my words differently."

Aleida peered out from under her hair and Maria shook her head.

"We cannot court one another. That is impossible." she argued, though she seemed as if she was somewhat intrigued by the idea of it.

"Why is it impossible?"

"That should be obvious."

"It's not to me."

Maria sighed, casting her gaze upwards. "Aleida... I am a warrior. Blunt. Difficult and with all the unyielding resolve of a Cainhurst Vileblood. What enamors you must surely be the surface."

"And yet I still want to know more." Aleida assured her.

She leaned into her, gently soothing her with strokes of her hands against her back.

"I know there's a soft heart beneath all of you." she continued, gently. "I am no fool to your agelessness nor am I to your sins. But I can try to be good for you. If given the chance."

Maria stared down at her, silent for the longest time.

Then, she sighed softly, kissed the top of her head and the pair laid together in the makeshift bed.

This was foolish.

But she felt herself yearning for it all the more.


	8. VIII

~O~

_Maria rode the horse that morning._

_Sonja was standing beside the farmer, watching the sight of her mistress crack the reins, guide the horse into a few jumps before she trotted up to the two. Sonja took the reins as Maria hopped down and the farmer smiled brightly at her._

_"Did I not say, my Lady?" he said, "Never would you lay eyes on a finer horse in all of Yharnam!"_

_"It's a perfect animal." Maria told him. She reached at her belt and produced a small bag of gold coins._

_She glanced briefly at Sonja with a smile and the woman returned it before lowering her eyes. The farmer turned to Sonja now._

_"Your servant girl can gather the brushes and shoes," he said._

_Sonja gave a small bow before she moved to do just that. Maria watched her go, noticing the tired look on Sonja's face now. The girl had desired to spend time with her, but Maria had certainly devoted her day to her duties more so than she thought._

_And before the banquet was going to start, she certainly didn't want the woman to believe her brother's horrendous words._

_"...I will be visiting the quarters by the lake. Please send my mother my regards."_

_"Some time to yourself, my Lady?"_

_"Yes. Gods only knows my brother's annoyed me much as of late. I could use the quiet."_

_Sonja didn't hear the conversation going on between the two. She walked to the barn and started to gather up the items the farmer had left in a sack nearby. It took a little while for her to tie the bag before she heard the sounds of fast approaching hooves._

_Sonja turned, mere seconds as Maria's new horse came rushing toward her with Maria at the reins. She swiped up the other woman in one quick arm as they galloped away toward the distant lake. Sonja gave a yelp of surprise before she felt lips at her ear._

_"Ride with me." Maria whispered._

_Sonja's cheeks darkened and she grinned now. "My Lady!"_

_They arrived at the lakeside quarters where their time was properly spent engaging one another's bodies. After a few lovely moments of satisfaction, Maria took a moment to sit up and lightly brush her fingertips against Sonja's, studying her with adoration._

_"I did not want our previous encounter to leave you so discouraged by my feelings for you, Sonja." Maria told her._

_"I'm all right, Maria." Sonja replied. "Perhaps I am simply...frustrated."_

_"Understood." Maria said, studying their unified hands. "One day, we will be allowed to leave together. Of that, I can promise you."_

_Sonja smiled hopefully. "Will we have a home much like this one?"_

_Maria raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "You want a home by the lake?"_

_"Oh, yes."_

_"I see. I can hunt and you tend to a garden." Maria found the notion delightful._

_"I love gardens." Sonja brightened._

_Maria chuckled at her delight in the thought. Sonja's excitement certainly gave her a warmth from somewhere in her chest. Oh, it made her sorry to be missing on courting her like she would in her court. Perhaps once she left with Sonja by her side, she would make up for lost time._

_"Now..." Maria's fingers teased Sonja's with smoky undertones in her voice.. "I would like to taste you. Will you let me?"_

_Sonja tilted her head. "Taste me?"_

_Maria paused. She glanced down at her and raised an eyebrow, as if she should have known what she asked. Sonja gave a sheepish laugh when she realized._

_"Oh. Of course." she said._

_"Has anyone done that for you?" Maria asked._

_"No. My...Well, my masters preferred when I did it for them."_

_"Then it pleases me to be the first."_

_Well, Sonja certainly had no complaints when she felt those lips against her belly, leaving scalding trails close to that aching goal.. And she had no further complaints to follow when they closed around the slick folds of her cunt and brought her over the edge. Twice._

_Later that evening, Sonja was standing silent and rigid at the banquet table._

_Cainhurst nobles danced, some talked and others were leaning against walls and statues; they were waiting the arrival of their Queen, who was soon to announce the beginning of the banquet and in turn, the turning of several new knights to her fold. It was a particularly exciting event for everyone there; Sonja could make out bits of conversation between Maria's mother and another noblewoman._

_She didn't see Maria yet, but she had heard that the knights typically arrived before the Queen. It was, after all, Sonja's first time being at something so important at the castle. There had been parties and other events, but none where the Queen herself was present._

_There was a bell that rung and the servants stood at attention. Knights were making their way down the rows of stairs and Sonja looked around for signs of Maria. She saw her walking beside her brother in the garb of the knight, her hair held up by a black lace ribbon. She had been pampered properly before Sonja arrived by a few of the handmaidens. She had to look her best for this event, after all._

_Sonja had seen it before; the fancy, expensive material was adorned with salamanders along the shoulder cloak which she had heard rumored to connect the Cainhurst knights with fire. The ruffled collar, the sleeves, the coat had been cleaned to perfection and unlike few of the other female knights, Maria adorned herself with male attire instead._

_The sight of Maria's appearance nearly took her breath away. She looked utterly stunning._

_The woman caught her eye among the crowd of Knights and she smiled at Sonja, raising her chin, regal and proud. Sonja couldn't help her small laugh. It seemed that Maria couldn't resist the change to display herself with such pride in her appearance._

_There were speeches made; bombast and all before a hush suddenly fell across the great chamber. Several heads turned and that was when they saw Her._

_The Queen was someone Sonja never believed she would lay her eyes on._

_She was dressed in elegant, red robes that trailed a long path behind her, a crown of fine jewels rested on her head. Long blonde hair, as perfect as the finest silk trailed down her back and across her shoulders and her green eyes resembled stones._

_She seemed to take the breath away of everyone in the room._

_"Bend thy knee." her voice was soft, gentle, but carried with it all the authority of a thousand Gods._

_They lowered themselves to one knee upon her arrival without a moment of hesitation. Annalise's eyes studied every little detail of the banquet and she seemed to be impressed by the decadence of the room, the way everything was properly in its place._

_"Begin."_

_The festivities resumed as she took her place at a throne across the great hall. Sonja couldn't take her eyes off of her; she had anticipated someone frightening, someone vast and commanding. But Annalise resembled a woman so fair and so welcoming. Perhaps that was an illusion. It surely must have been if it brought such shudders across the great room._

_Maria approached the feast table and looked up at Sonja, who served passing nobles wine. She waited until they had gone before standing beside her._

_"You're doing well, Sonja." she whispered._

_Sonja acknowledged with a small nod._

_Then, she looked up at her again and smiled shyly. "You look lovely, my Lady."_

_Maria smiled and straightened her cuffs. "Mm, good. I am glad to hear it." she replied. "I did say I would bring you to the banquet, after all. I wanted to look my best."_

_Sonja looked confused. "I'm sorry?"_

_Maria leaned close to her and whispered something that was seen by her brother in the distance. He furrowed his brow and watched as Maria departed, leaving Sonja alone with a look of astonishment on her face. In an hour, he noticed her depart from her place at her table._

_He walked down the corridor and could hear the sounds of Maria and Sonja's voices coming from another room. Peering through a crack in the door, he noticed Maria in mid-dance with Sonja. They were smiling and laughing together in a way that was surely inappropriate._

_Oh, so THAT was it. That's what his sister was doing._

_"Courtship often begins with dance," Maria explained, "I thought this would be appropriate for us. You've never experienced a Cainhurst courtship ritual."_

_"No, I haven't." Sonja giggled. "But I am pleased by it, my dearest Lady."_

_"Yes. We will soon leave this place and you can rest and finally be free." Maria assured her, holding her close as they danced to the music in the grand room nearby._

_Sonja couldn't fathom such a thing. To have been a slave all of her life and to finally know freedom? It was so utterly exciting and frightening all at once._

_"Freedom...at last." She cherished the word in such a soft, breathy voice._

O

Aleida was studying the peculiar eye she had found.

She wrote down several notes, watching as it seemed to wriggle with life on the table. Peering through a monocular, Aleida could make out the strange movement through the iris; it reminded her of worms and the eye seemed to be teeming with them. She lifted her glasses onto her head and leaned closer to study the eye.

"Hmm..." she murmured. "Strange."

She reached up and gave the eye a little touch of her fingertips. But as soon as her fingers made contact with it, a bright burst of energy shot out and she ducked with a yelp, narrowly missing being struck by it. It obliterated a jar of eyes in an explosion of glass and fluid, sending them falling to the floor.

Aleida glanced down at the mess with dismay, then down at the eye before setting her glasses down beside her. "Alright," she said, "We will not be touching this wretched thing now."

She started to wrap it up, but a single worm from the eye shot out and embedded itself into her left eye. Aleida shrieked, falling backwards off of her chair and onto the floor.

Stars burst in her head.

She saw multiple eyes staring back at her.

Aleida clawed at her face with a scream of pain, writhed and struggled to pry the thing from her eye, but it was useless. All she could see was bursts of stars in her head, wriggling and whispering against the surface of her brain.

_A deep stretch of dark sky, rumbling with endless starlight._

Aleida lost consciousness and her head hit the floor.

_"Mother is dead, her baby, taken."_

_"Scales are suffering, the grief of Kos."_

_"Do you hear it? A sealess void, the lair of beasts. Where the blood-crazed roam."_

_"Do you hear the sealess void? The lair of beasts, the blood-mad roam."_

Aleida blinked, moaning as she sat up. A lancing pain in her head lingered against her temples and she could still see through her eyes, though a crackling flicker of light danced at the corner of her left eye. She frowned, rubbed it once before a surge of energy shot out from her face, taking out another jar of eyes.

"By the Gods!" Aleida cried, stumbling back several paces until she felt a bookshelf against her back. "What is this? What?"

She took a few moments to calm her breathing, staring at the singed place where the energy had made contact. Then, she staggered to her feet and made her way toward a mirror hanging on the wall. She had pilfered it from another room for herself as needed.

Aleida pulled back her eyelid, noticing the pool of black her eye had become. She had been leaking tears from the eye at first, but wiped it with the sleeve of her shirt a few times before she moaned softly in pain.

It didn't hurt, much to her surprise. But she realized that she had to keep her eye hidden for the time being and not risk shooting more of the strange energy from her head. The sounds and whispers in her head had dulled to a soft rumble before quieting entirely.

She didn't know what to tell Maria, but the woman may have had an idea of what was happening to her.

Aleida looked around and spotted a tattered piece of cloth nearby. She grabbed it, wrapped it around her eye, picked up her glasses and set them on her face as best as she could. Then, she made her way out of the room, toward the Clocktower.

When she was close enough to the doors, she could hear music from the phonograph. Tilting her head, she entered the Clocktower and found Maria with her back to her, leaning over the device.

"Ah, you're here. Good." Maria said. "I had hope that we - What happened to your eye?"

Maria had turned and immediately noticed the cloth on Aleida's face. She frowned, approached her and took her chin in one hand, lifting it. Aleida made a face, worried about her reaction.

"I was studying an eye I had found in the balcony garden and it struck me," she explained, hesitantly.

Maria's eyes clouded in thought and she removed her glasses, set them on the table where the phonograph rested. Then, she began to unravel the cloth around Aleida's head. When she managed to get it off, her eyes widened now with a soft gasp.

"The Blacksky Eye!" she exclaimed.

Aleida winced when Maria lifted her upper eyelid. "I didn't mean for it to happen." she told her. "It struck me. What is this thing? What does it do?"

Maria frowned now. She looked concerned and that was making Aleida worried. "It was discovered by Byrgenwerth scholars. I assisted in the research, but it failed to go anywhere for most. Only a few have been able to adapt to it. The nun below was one of those people."

"Oh. What does that mean?"

"I don't know quite yet. Tell me, can you see?"

Aleida blinked a little as the woman stepped away. "Yes. It's odd, but...it doesn't even hurt." She blinked a few more times before rubbing her temple.

Maria considered something. "Have you heard whispers? Voices in your mind?"

"N-No. At first, it happened when I woke up after I had fainted, but...nothing."

"I see."

Aleida was confused, staring up at her for answers. "What does it mean? Will I be all right?" she asked, suddenly frightened.

"You may be." Maria seemed concerned still. "It seems that you've already adapted to the presence of the eye. Perhaps your abilities in the sword were meant more for the arcane."

Aleida rubbed her temples again, but a blast of magic shot out from her eye and narrowly missed Maria's head. She ducked low and they watched as the blast struck one of the many bells above them, ringing loudly. Maria watched the bell for a moment, then looked back at Aleida skeptically.

She grinned with embarrassment. "Oops."

O

Maria still couldn't fathom how it happened.

Most experiments who had succumbed to the Blacksky eye were lost. Their minds were torn apart and they were overcome by the constant stream of madness that flowed through their brains. But Aleida seemed completely fine with it. She hadn't fallen victim to the eye's influence.

Aleida had attempted to fire an orb of energy from her head and the force of it knocked her a few paces back until she was lying on the floor.

"Oh Gods..." she muttered, annoyed.

Maria held out a hand to help her stand. "You're focusing too hard." she told her.

"How do I focus?"

"I cannot tell you how to focus. You must understand that for yourself."

Maria stood behind her now and took her hands in hers. She laced their fingers together, leaned her nose against Aleida's neck.

"Find a memory." she told her.

"A memory?"

"A good one."

"Oh." Aleida made a face. "I don't have too many of those."

Maria raised an eyebrow. "No?"

Aleida sighed, thought about it for a moment and then she laughed gently. "Well, there is one memory. It's not really happy, but...it gives me a good feeling sometimes."

"Alright. Then use that one."

Maria stepped back a little, giving her space. Aleida closed her eyes, thought of the memory. It brought forth a smile to her face and Maria was unable to resist her curiosity to what it could have been. She would inquire about it later; right now, she wanted Aleida to focus.

Aleida raised her fingers to her temples, focused on the memory before she opened her eyes, casting a ball of energy from her left eye that formed flawlessly, bursting against the wall before vanishing completely. Maria had watched the scene, impressed.

"Good. Well done." she told her. "It seems you're adapting to the eye, but I would like to keep watch over you."

Aleida nodded. That seemed like a good idea. She was still a bit worried about what could happen to her, but the fact that Maria intended to keep an eye on her; it made her feel a bit more safe. She heard no voices and felt no further pain from the change, so perhaps that was a good thing.

"So, how will I...?" Aleida wondered, glancing down sadly at her glasses.

Maria thought about it for a moment. She took the glasses from her, popped out the left lens with her thumbs. Then, she fit her glasses right back against her ears and Aleida smiled, pleased.

"Oh! I see. Brilliant."

Maria chuckled softly. Still, she was concerned and she would certainly watch over Aleida for the time being. The woman's mental state of mind was shaken at times.

Aleida stared down at her hand, then touched her eyelid with two fingers. She looked up sadly at Maria now.

"This must make me look a fright." she said.

Maria shook her head. "No."

Still, it concerned her.

Later that evening, Maria had fallen asleep beside Aleida and dreamed of her past.

_Byrgenwerth was silent, but not for long._

_Willem was sitting in his rocking chair when he heard a sound of pain below. He didn't falter when a Scholar cried out pleadingly._

_"Maria! No, Maria, wait!"_

_A thud, followed by a groan of pain._

_"Maria, stop! Calm down!" It was Rom's voice now._

_Willem heard the sound of harsh footsteps before Maria stalked toward him, features a twisted mess of anguish and rage._

_"Why?" she shouted. "Why have you done this?"_

_"What have I done?" Willem questioned, with a calm grunt. "Use your words, Maria. But use them wisely."_

_Maria bared her teeth. Another Hunter was running toward her, but she simply shoved a palm into his chest without looking and her inhuman strength sent him flying through a window with a deafening shatter._

_Gehrman was behind her and his eyes widened in shock at the sight. He peered out the broken window to see if the Hunter was alright and the man weakly stirred with a moan. He was fine._

_"We've slaughtered an entire village of people for nothing!" Maria spat, slamming her hands over Willem's arm rests. "Their lives! Do you know what their lives meant?"_

_"Yes." Willem answered calmly, "They were selfish to keep such a gift to themselves. Did you think they would offer it up willingly? This is our search for Truth, Maria. I assumed you of all people would want that."_

_Maria's eyes widened and she snarled. "What?"_

_"You pledged an oath to us. To the Church and all that we strive for." Willem continued, with a small chuckle. "As a matter of fact, you were for this expedition."_

_Maria withered now, voice softer. "I...I didn't - "_

_"Didn't know what it meant?" Willem interrupted. He shook his head. "No, of course not. You wouldn't. You were so eager to prove yourself to us that you lost sight of the reality of our search for Truth. This is the horror of it. Sacrifices are required for the betterment of evolution."_

_Maria straightened and turned toward an enormous jar of eyes. Eyes that SHE had provided. Her hands shook and she swallowed a sick sensation down. She could still hear the screams of the victims of the Hamlet._

_"Sacrifices?" she whispered, her voice shaken._

_Willem rose from his chair, shook his head and embraced her. She froze, rigid and stared at Gehrman with bloodshot eyes._

_"Oh, you poor thing," Willem said, with a sigh, "They were just villagers."_

_Maria's eyes widened and she backed away from him now, shaking her head with horror and disbelief before she turned and walked out of the building._

_Once outside, she wandered through the woods for a long time, unable to take the sounds of torment and suffering from the Hamlet victims from her mind._

_What had she done?_

Maria awoke from her dream and noticed Aleida clutching tightly to her in her sleep. She seemed to be stirring in the middle of a dream; her brow furrowed and she uttered soft, worried noises.

"...Where...where are you?" Aleida moaned, hauntingly.

"Aleida." Maria said softly.

She sighed, cast her gaze upward before gently stroking Aleida's bangs. It seemed to help as Aleida simply quieted down a bit and stretched before fisting Maria's coat and burrowing her face into her arm. The older woman smiled thinly and shook her head.

How precious.

"Mmm, Maria?" Aleida mumbled, in her sleep. "Are you alright?"

Maria leaned close, kissing her forehead. "Go back to sleep." she whispered. "You're dreaming."

Aleida murmured again before she stilled and held her tighter. Maria watched her for a moment before she closed her eyes and leaned her head against hers.

O

The following morning, Aleida awoke alone.

She looked around and found that Maria had gone. She was used to the older woman leaving, so perhaps she'd left for her tower.

Aleida stretched, leaned back with a groan before she noticed a little note left in the spot where Maria had been sleeping. She tilted her head and read it out loud to herself.

"'Meet me in the garden below'."

Aleida murmured thoughtfully before she stood. Then, she winced and touched her eye with one finger. It felt a little tender today, so she would talk to Maria about it. But first, perhaps Adeline had some insight on what was happening to her.

She walked downstairs to Adeline's room. "Oh, Adeline?"

The woman was sitting in her chair as always and reacted to the sound of Aleida's voice. "Oh! Hello, Aleida," she greeted, "Did you rest well? How is your eye?"

"It throbs." Aleida replied. "I only wanted to speak with you to understand what else I can expect from it."

Adeline was silent for a moment. "The eye has taken to you." she explained, with a smile in her voice. "As it has Lynn below. If it hadn't, your mind would have already been torn apart by the storm within. There may still be lingering echoes and whispers, however."

"Ah. I see. That's certainly a relief." Aleida laughed weakly.

Adeline suddenly giggled. "Oh! Lady Maria has a surprise for you! She swore me to secrecy."

Aleida blinked, surprised. "Really? What sort of surprise?"

"I cannot say," Adeline's voice trilled with delight, "But she intends courtship with you, however in the old Cainhurst ways. Do you intend to do something for her?"

Aleida looked stunned. "Really? I thought - " She shook her head and frowned uncertainly. "I don't know what I could possibly do for her. Courtship in my little town wasn't nearly as impressive as it would be a Cainhurst noble."

"Lady Maria appreciates little things," Adeline explained, "Such as your sketch of her. She keeps it by her chair in the Clocktower."

"How do you know?"

"She told me."

Aleida frowned, a little disappointed. "She speaks to you often about her feelings?"

"Oh! Don't be so sad, Aleida." Adeline assured her. "We've known one another for a very long time. Maria confides in me intimate thoughts. She is uncertain of how you'll react to them. She adores you more than she lets on. She is simply...guarded."

Aleida smiled a little. "I see. Well, I hope to find something that pleases her." She looked around the room and sighed, a little unsure.

She wandered out of the room, lingered in the main hall before she looked toward the balcony door where Maria was most likely waiting for her. Aleida couldn't very well see her without an offering of sorts. But she didn't want to wander entirely too far.

She walked up to the second floor in search of something to offer Maria. All she could find were books, broken tools for experiments and paintings. Nothing really stuck out to her as a gift to the other woman.

Aleida started to go up to the third floor, but hesitated.

She could hear soft groans, whispers and chatter from the more aggressive patients above.

"No, no," Aleida said, to herself, "We won't be going up there."

Instead, she walked into the Lumenflower Garden nearest the Clocktower. She couldn't give her these flowers. They were everywhere.

The towering beings tending to the gardens ignored her as she wandered in search of something. Aleida sighed, glanced up and noticed a shimmering gleam above her out of reach on the balcony above. What was that?

Aleida looked at one of the giant blue beings. "Hello!" she called.

It turned to her with a soft gurgle.

"There!" Aleida pointed in the direction of the glimmer. "Could you lift me up there? I see something I'd like to get, but I can't reach."

It simply stood there in silence, fingers occasionally twitching. Aleida sighed, disappointed. She turned to the higher balcony and started to climb it. Whatever it was that was up there, she felt a strange urge to see it.

Aleida yelped when she almost slipped, but contacted cool ground immediately. Confused, she looked down and noticed she'd fallen directly into the great blue palm of one of the lumbering creatures. She was stunned and glanced up at it.

The creature had caught her as she had fallen, which was certainly a surprise and one she hadn't expected. Still, it gave her a nervous feeling as well; Maria had mentioned they could be dangerous. But this one didn't appear to be hostile in any way.

"Could you..." Aleida questioned, pointing up. She gestured a few more time. "Up there?"

The creature slowly lifted her and Aleida brightened happily. She was brought up to the balcony and climbed down from the great hand, landing on a stone floor before the source of her interest. Her eyes slowly widened with a gasp of amazement.

What had grown on the balcony was a curious new specimen of a Lumenflower. It glittered with flecks of blue and gold in a way that the others had not. Aleida had never seen such a lovely specimen before. It stood apart from the others, a brilliant image.

"Alright, this is perfect!" she said, to herself.

She took hold of the flower and gave it a little tug, snapping it free from the ground. Then, she looked down from the balcony's edge and groaned when she noticed the creature seemed distracted with the garden once more.

"Bloody brilliant..." Aleida muttered.

O

Aleida walked toward the balcony where Maria was going to be, practicing what she would say to her.

"Ah, Maria..." she said, to herself, "I found this lovely Lumenflower. It's beautiful and unique just like you and I thought you'd like it..."

She entered the balcony and was surprised to find Maria standing there, dressed in her Cainhurst Knight attire. She blinked a few times, unable to fathom the sight of the woman in such unusual garb. Maria cleared her throat, straightened the collar a little.

"I'm amazed that it still fits, truly..." she said, "But it was there where I left it. I never thought I'd put this on again until today."

"You look lovely," Aleida told her, smiling. "I..." She glanced down at her hand and held out the flower. "I understand it's far from impressive, but I found this particular flower and it's beautiful. Like you."

Maria tilted her head and approached her, looking down at the offering. She ran her fingertips against the petals, marveling at the strange, unique color of them. She had never noticed a Lumenflower that would grow to look like this; most of them were lovely, but simple in colors and hues.

"Where did you find it?" she asked.

Aleida chuckled. "I had to climb for it. One of those creatures tending to the gardens helped me. Well, it took a few tries to get them to do so."

Maria glanced down at the flower for the longest time. Her silence bothered Aleida a bit and she chuckled weakly. "I understand that it isn't something truly magnificent. It's very challenging to find anything worthy of you here in the Nightmare."

"It's fine." Maria told her, features in a complex mix of awe and thought. "It's quite extraordinary that you see me in such a way without knowing who or what I truly am."

"Please. Not on such a lovely day."

"Lovely. Yes, of course." Maria nodded her head.

Aleida took the flower from her hand and Maria blinked, watching as she fitted it on her coat. The younger woman leaned back a little to admire her handiwork and beamed.

"There we are." she said.

Maria took a step back and looked toward the phonograph she had set up nearby. She made her way over to it and produced a song that Aleida had never heard before. She tilted her head at the song; it reminded her of a ballroom dance she had heard peeking in the windows of the wealthier class.

"This song was played at a ball from home," Maria explained, approaching her and extending her hand. "Commonly, it was used for those who wished to be courted."

Aleida laughed softly, cheeks darkening as she allowed her hand to be taken. "I don't even look appropriate."

"You look fine." Maria assured her. "Though I must ask...how is your eye?"

"It's fine, truly." Aleida answered.

"It pleases me to hear it."

"It pleases me to SAY it."

They begun to dance in the garden and Aleida leaned her head against Maria's shoulder with a small sound of contentment.

"Mm, this is nice. I never thought I'd be dancing in another realm with such a wonderful woman." she said, softly. "I never believed myself worthy of it."

"Why?" Maria furrowed her brow at the thought.

"Oh..." Aleida sighed sadly. "You know why."

Maria shook her head and leaned back a little to properly look at her as they continued to dance. "What became of you makes you no less worthy of love. It is I who should feel less worthy of it."

Aleida reached up, touching two fingers to Maria's lips and rebuking her words with a simple shushing sound. She didn't know what Maria had done, but a part of her had already suspected it; with the patients and the things she'd heard whispered in the halls.

Maria was formerly a Hunter, that much was fact. But Aleida has suspected she'd killed more than just Beasts. A part of her knew that from these whispers.

"Whatever you've done, that's in the past." Aleida assured her.

"The Nightmare does not forget."

"But I can." Aleida continued to reassure her of that fact. "My hands are not clean. No one's hands are truly clean these days."

Maria sighed softly.

"Now, let's not discuss it any further." Aleida continued, "Let's enjoy this wonderful moment."

Maria smiled a little now. Well, Aleida had certainly gotten bolder since they'd first met. Before, the poor thing would shiver and shy away from her. She quite respected the change.

Instead of talking any more on the matter, she leaned her head down to kiss Aleida gently on her lips. She looked beyond the younger woman and found that same infuriating image of her mother watching.

_"Mm, there you go again."_ her mother said, with dismay. _"You seem to never learn from your mistakes. Of course, you can smother yourself in a false image of love. But we both know how that ends, don't we?"_

Maria ignored her. Or made an effort to as she continued to dance with Aleida.

_"How long do you plan to continue this ridiculous charade? Aleida will die a human being. She will age and wither away if she isn't killed or raped by the Hunters outside. Do you think you can protect her forever?"_

Maria could. Quite easily.

But...would that be a life for Aleida to live? Boxed away like a fine gem never to see the light of a morning sun?

She didn't know.


	9. IX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending was inspired by X Ambassadors' - "Unsteady (Erich Lee Gravity Remix)"

~O~

Something twisted the Nightmare that morning.

Maria sensed it when she awoke, but she could see nothing from the balcony. She didn't know, but it felt familiar somehow; it was an older feeling, like it had come from a place long forgotten. The Nightmare was constantly changing and swirling, but she had never gotten such a feeling until now.

It concerned her.

_Why?_

While she pondered this, Aleida had been searching for books below. She had found another room full of different tales of interest as well as research books for future use. One in particular explored specific surgeries used by Yharnam for Beasts that she was curious about.

Maria walked into the room and Aleida turned, brightening when she saw her. "Ah, Maria!" she said, "I was looking for more books. I... What is it?"

She stopped when she noticed the concern on Maria's face. The older woman seemed to be thinking; something had changed in the Nightmare, Aleida could tell.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, setting her book down on a table and approaching her.

"I don't know." Maria replied, glancing over her shoulder briefly. "Perhaps I am simply concerned by the change of the Nightmare. It adapts and molds to another. But this one is older. Familiar somehow."

Aleida looked worried. "Are you sure?"

"I... I don't know." Maria replied.

Then, she looked at Aleida's eye and cupped her cheek. It was still a pool of black, but no new changes seemed to have taken root within. She touched two fingers to her forehead and look at Aleida.

"How have you been feeling?"

"Well enough for me, I suppose." Aleida replied, with a small laugh. "I've been planning to wash a patient today before I resume my studies. We could walk for a little if it would comfort you."

Maria thought about it. Yes, perhaps that would be fine.

The two walked through the Lumenflower garden and Aleida heard a faint whisper in the back of her mind. The moment she begun to talk to Maria, it faded away in the back of her mind.

"Did you ever consider marriage?" Maria questioned.

Aleida paused, then smiled at her. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm curious. A woman of your profession surely thought about a life and a comforting family." Maria told her. She raised an eyebrow at the amused stare from the younger woman. "Oh, don't look at me that way. I was simply curious. My mother used to insist how utterly important it was for my bloodline to continue."

Aleida murmured thoughtfully. "My mother didn't like to force those sorts of things. She wanted my happiness above all things."

"Your mother was kind."

"Yes..."

The two were quiet again and Aleida thought about something before she chuckled. "Would we have seen one another if not for the Nightmare?"

Maria tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Well...would you have seen me?" Aleida asked her, with a suddenly embarrassed smile on her face. "I know I'm not a Hunter. I'm hardly one anyone would notice. But would we have found our paths crossing outside of the Nightmare?"

Maria thought about it. In truth, she didn't know what answer to give Aleida that would satisfy her.

"Perhaps we would have seen one another in passing," she replied, "However, my training would have not given me time to consider courtship with another person."

"Ah, of course."

Aleida seemed to understand, but it also seemed as if it wasn't the answer she was looking for. Still, she smiled, shook her head and rubbed her temple. Maria stopped her hand and frowned.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes, just a little headache."

Maria cupped her chin and lifted her head to meet her eyes. "Will you tell me if more changes?"

"Yes."

"The truth, Aleida."

"Yes! By my mother's grave, you have my word on it."

Maria seemed satisfied with that answer. "Good. Now then. Let's attempt to utilize the eye in training today. Will you be prepared for it?"

Aleida nodded her head. "I will."

O

Once she had trained with Maria, Aleida cleaned several patients and even had to chase one to properly keep him dressed. He seemed determined enough to play and just giggled the entire time. Aleida had finally caught him when he was cornered on the second floor.

Then, Aleida wandered into a room filled with various surgery tools that intrigued her. She would certainly inquire to Adeline of their purpose.

While her back was to the door, it creaked open slowly.

"Maria? Ah, I was hoping you'd find me," Aleida said, without looking back.

She turned and her eyes widened in horror. She started to cry out, but a metal gloved hand grabbed her throat, silencing her completely.

It took a few moments before Maria heard the Clocktower doors open. She saw Aleida standing there and it took a few moments for her to realize that the woman was suspended off of the ground. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung slack in several soft sound of pain.

"Aleida?" Maria said, suddenly guarded.

A few footsteps behind Aleida and Maria realized now that the younger woman was being walked toward her; a metal hand gripped the back of Aleida's neck and someone guided her aside so that Maria had a good look at the new threat.

A man wearing feathered garb, a withered Cainhurst helmet and gloved hands. The helmet had a single scratch on the surface and soft, sickly sounds emerged from it.

"Sister." a familiar voice whispered from beneath the helmet.

Maria's eyes widened slightly.

No, that wasn't possible.

"Brother?" she said, stunned.

The man tossed Aleida aside and Maria watched as she tumbled across the floor before hitting the wall with her shoulder. She groaned in pain, clutching her shoulder and continued to lie there. When Maria moved to her side, her brother stepped in the way.

"Ah ah, mustn't worry about toys right now," he said, "We have some catching up to do, you and I."

Maria watched as Aleida struggled to sit up. It took a few tries before the younger woman managed to lift herself into a sitting position. She looked dazed, but okay; she then looked at Maria with her eyes questioning who this man was and why he called her sister.

Maria's brother reached up with two hands and removed his helmet. His eyes were wide, pupils collapsed from his apparent blood-drunkenness and his face cracked, in the process of being twisted by Beasthood. But she would never forget his face, the way he tied his hair into a ponytail with a black ribbon. The cold green to his eyes and the smile of blood-lust constant in his gaze.

"You know what they called me, sister?" he questioned, slowly drawing his sword - the Chikage. "The Bloody Crow of Cainhurst."

"It suits you." Maria replied, squaring her shoulders and slowly inching her fingers toward her gun.

Her brother's eyes tracked the movement, but he continued to speak strangely calm. "Mm, a bit garish, but I always was one for the dramatic." He chuckled now. "I was bested by another Hunter of the Church and ended up here. Now? Now we have eternity to talk."

"Let's talk." Maria whispered.

She quickly drew out her weapon and fired. Her brother moved just as fast and drew his. Aleida recoiled at the noises and quickly moved out of the way into the far corner of the room, watching as both of their swords were out and clashing.

It was like a dance, watching the two siblings fight one another; the sound of blades colliding rang through the air, grunts of effort, shots from guns.

Maria's swords split into two and she blocked a swing of the Chikage as her brother brought it down merely inches from her head.

"You betrayed us, sister!" her brother snarled, lips pursing. "Tuck tail and run for the company of the Church, all for the sake of their grubby, mundane creed. And then, when they came in the night and slaughtered us all? Where were you?"

Maria hissed, twisting her swords and kicking out one leg into her brother's abdomen to knock him from her. He flipped back a few times before pointing his sword at her.

"Now, we will have the fight we were always meant to have," he promised, "To the death."

With that, he plunged his sword into his abdomen with a fierce grunt, coating the blade in his own glistening blood. Maria stared at the weapon with firm resolve.

So it ends.

O

Aleida was forced to watch the fight from a safe distance nearest the door.

She had never witnessed blood weapons before, but the sickening sound of blood splashing sent shivers down her back. The near red glow of Maria's brother's eyes, the wide grin and the frightening, maniacal cackle that burst from his lips. Maria seemed to be holding her own against him. She was, after all, a master of the sword.

"You could win if you'd simply use your blood." her brother hissed, forcing her back against the nearby wall. "Oh, but you won't use the very skill you are born with. You always looked down your nose as us and the Old Ways."

It was true. Maria did shun the use of blood weapons. It was possibly what created a rift between her and Cainhurst. Maybe even her brother, too.

He despised her because mother loved her best. Even when it didn't seem like she did.

Despite everything, you were always better than your brother.

Maria's eyes fell onto Aleida who watched the fight between them with fear on her face. She knew that if her brother managed to best her in combat that Aleida would no doubt be defiled by him before killing her.

She couldn't allow that to happen.

She WOULDN'T allow that to happen.

Her brother surged at her now with a shout and Maria raised her swords, blocking his attack as it shot both of them across the room. The force splintered the wood of the floor, drawing a pained grunt from Maria. The blood that coated his weapon slashed her cheek, cutting a paper-thin wound on her pristine skin.

"Fight me, sister!" her brother shouted, when she rose. "Fight me as you were MEANT to fight me!"

"I always despised you." Maria hissed.

A mocking laugh from her brother and he pointed his sword at her. "Oh, but you BECAME me, sister. I know of the slaughter that stains your hands." Another cruel laugh, despite her impassive expression. "You can hide it from that girl you play with, but it's written all over you."

Maria spun through the air, blades blurring. Aleida continued to watch them fight for a few moments more before her eye began to ache.

_Help her._

Maria's brother was fast, blade spinning and showers of blood from the imbued weapon spraying in a gruesome, crimson arch.

He gave a shout of pain and arched forward when Aleida shot a ball of magic straight at his back. He whirled now, ignoring his sister to turn his enraged attention to her.

"You little BITCH!" he snarled.

Aleida quickly backed away as he advanced like a bloodthirsty storm upon her. Maria had climbed from the rubble after being thrown into a bookshelf. She watched in horror as her brother trapped Aleida in a corner.

"ALEIDA!" she shouted.

Aleida drew her sword, mere moments as Maria's brother thrust his blade forward. Her weapon had jerked his arm to the left, but the blade pierced through her side, drawing a low grunt of agony from her. Her features went slack and he grabbed her throat, pinning her against the wall. That horrible gaze of blood-lust was all she saw.

"You stupid girl," he spat, with hatred choking his words, "You want to die that badly? I'll oblige you!"

A bullet ripped into his shoulder. Maria's brother turned, yanking his sword from Aleida to dodge Maria's gunshots. The woman's eyes were wide, frightened and full of rage as she tried desperately to get him from Aleida. The younger woman collapsed to the ground with a weak sound of pain, clutching her side.

Maria watched her desperately, firing round after round from her gun. Her brother jumped, slapped one hand into her gun arm and knocked her backwards. Aleida clutched at her side, dazedly watching the fight continue from the floor.

Her body was wracked with violent tremors; blood soaked her clothes and side, leaving her numb. Her ears were ringing and she could barely hear anything through the sound.

Maria was forced back several feet, but her mind was to the bleeding woman in the corner.

That foolish, bleeding woman.

Maria's brother chuckled when he watched her fall to her knees, exhausted from the fight. Her ribbon had come loose, sending ribbons of hair down her face. "Already? We have barely begun, dear sister."

The blood around him began to shift.

It was alive as it shouldn't have been.

Something changed.

O

The blood seeped toward Maria and her brother immediately sensed the change. His brow furrowed before he chuckled, watching it collect toward her. Ah, she was commanding the blood as she was meant to do. The pressure in the air adapted to the transformation.

But it felt stronger than he expected.

Maria lifted her head, gazing at him through the locks of blood-sticky hair.

Her eye looked red.

"What...?" her brother looked around, watching the blood on the floor move and ripple toward her. "This isn't... How is she doing this?"

Maria stood up slowly now, hair draped over her face with one eye glaring out at him. She resembled a terrifying, Pthumerian Goddess from the portraits of the Old Tales. He didn't think that such strength resonated in his sister. They were both distant relatives of the Queen.

How could she...?

_This is why mother loved her most._

_She knew._

Maria's arms stretched out and she plunged her swords through her abdomen. Yanking them free with a fierce snarl of effort, she coated them in her blood. Her brother watched, transfixed at the sight of them and his sister resonating with something ancient and primal.

Her swords slashed through the air, sending hot showers of flames and blood right for her brother. The fire scorched his chest, sending him flying back through the air and into the enormous hand of the Clocktower. He collapsed to the floor with a wet groan, looking up just in time to see Maria already in the air.

It seemed to go slow.

He saw flashes of a terrifying Pthumerian being diving at him, then Maria. Over and over.

Her sword was poised for him, her face a mask of wrath.

He was frozen, unable to move from his spot, even when her blade plunged viciously through his chest. Maria's eyes were wide, her hair draped over her face as she pinned him to the floor with her sword. He gasped thickly, fingers grasping uselessly at her as the strength began leaving him.

"S-Such...such strength..." he gurgled, "Why? Why have you...locked it away all this time?"

Maria's hair relaxed, her breaths came out in several shudders as she slowly felt the strength of her power subside. She yanked her blade from his chest in a gruesome spray of blood before she immediately turned to make her way to Aleida's side.

Her brother watched, his vision dimming as his sister scooped up Aleida in her arms and carried her out of the tower. His vision blacked once. Then twice.

The Nightmare was shifting, even as he laid there dying.

Something crawled toward him from the ceiling. He heard the skittering of claws and a twisted, mangled face loomed over him; it resembled an infant lost in the throes of the Scourge with green eyes like his and silver strands of hair. It's teeth shined with blood.

_It's not really there._

"Papa..." it gurgled.

He laid there and began to laugh soft, manic sounds as blood flowed from his mouth and chest.

O

Maria carried Aleida to the table in Adeline's room.

"What happened?" Adeline asked, worried.

Maria didn't answer at first. She immediately placed Aleida gently onto the table and studied the blood-soaked shirt. She worked quickly to undo it and open it up to see the wound. Aleida swallowed thickly, struggling to breathe.

"What would you have me do, Aleida?" Maria asked, voice strangely even, though with a mild strain.

"M-My bag..." Aleida gestured with her blood-soaked hand toward a table where she kept her supplies. "Thread, alcohol. Y-You can use it."

Adeline squirmed in her chair. She was anxious and impatient. "Lady Maria!"

"My brother found his way here into the Nightmare," Maria quickly explained as she moved to gather the items needed from Aleida's bag. "Aleida tried to stand against him and she was injured. There's...so much blood."

Aleida's head weakly rolled to the side as she watched Maria make her way to her side once more. "M-Maria..."

"Hush now." Maria ordered, her voice only slightly strained in a way that betrayed her concern. "You've...lost a lot of blood."

"Give her mine." Adeline piped up now.

Maria and Aleida looked toward her. Maria didn't approve of blood transfusions of the Church, but if it meant saving Aleida, she would certainly take the chance.

"Quickly!" Adeline tugged at her restraints.

Maria immediately worked and Aleida could barely see what she was doing through her haze of pain. She heard a sharp ringing in her ears and barely felt the needle working through her skin. The only sounds in the room were of the squishing of flesh being pierced, the blood dripping and Aleida's soft, yet still strained breaths.

_I don't want to die._

It had been the first time she'd wanted to live in so long. Maria's eyes were focused on her moments before she lost consciousness.

Much later, Maria was sitting in a chair beside the sleeping Aleida, watching over her. Adeline sighed softly, interrupting the agonizing silence.

"She will live." she said. "My blood will ensure that."

Maria looked down at her hands and her eyes widened at the sight of the bright red blood that still stained them. She saw a memory pass her of the Hamlet and quickly shook it away.

Aleida stirred a little with a shudder. "Maria?"

The woman rose and stood at Aleida's side. "I'm here."

Aleida glanced up at her, seemingly staring through the older woman. Maria stared back, brow furrowing.

"She may be a little disoriented," Adeline explained. "As you know, those who experience Blood Healing for the first time don't take to it well."

Aleida moaned with anguish. "Please... Please don't abandon me. PLEASE."

"I'm here, Aleida." Maria was uncertain how to comfort her. "I'm not abandoning you."

Aleida looked at her, met her eyes and she began to cry. The pupil of her good eye nearly engulfed her entire eye in a sea of black. She clutched at Maria's coat in a burst of strength.

"I'm sorry. Do you hate me?"

Maria made a sound of disbelief. "Why would you think that? No."

"I did something bad. Something truly terrible. I'm a murderer." Aleida continued to cry before she looked beyond Maria and gave a shriek of fright. "I see him! There!"

She started to scoot away and Maria grabbed her arms, holding her to the table. "Aleida, enough!" she ordered. "It's not real. What you're experiencing is an effect of the Blood. It will pass. Find my voice."

Aleida moaned, weakly struggling against her. "No, no... No, don't make me look at it."

"Aleida, it's all right." Maria felt utterly helpless as she tried to keep the other woman from moving too much and opening her wounds again. "It's not real. I'm here."

Aleida clutched her arm and cried softly into her sleeve. "I keep seeing faces. So many faces... Don't abandon me to them, please."

Maria looked back at Adeline. "What must I do for her?"

"Hold her. Touch her face. Let her see that it's you."

Maria did as instructed; she held Aleida's head close to her chest, just gently stroking her fingertips against her cheek. The younger woman moaned and cried softly, squirming on the table with a little less effort than before. Adeline couldn't see what was happening, but she could faintly make out the noises of Aleida's quiet pleas dying down.

It took another fifteen minutes before she was quietly sleeping.

"She won't let me go." Maria whispered, softly. There was a strange change to her voice; perhaps she was regretting something. "I suppose I'll remain this way while she sleeps."

Adeline didn't question the change in her tone. She certainly would later as it did concern her.

O

Maria had sworn herself from the Hunter's life, even as she tended to the patients in the Research Hall. She had tried to forget it. She had tried to do good in hopes of correcting what she had done. She had stopped Adeline's treatment as she had no desire to watch her fall victim to her insanity as the others have.

And now Aleida could have died. And she would have watched it happen. Again.

She thought about it relentlessly as Aleida slept for three days. Her mother's false image was there again in the Clocktower, chuckling and shaking her head.

_"Didn't I tell you, darling? Didn't I say it would happen?"_

Maria clenched her fist.

_"Now now, it's alright. You can't help yourself. You indulge in the cute ones and this is how it always ends. Now you can sit and watch another one die because of your selfish needs."_

Maria didn't respond. She closed her eyes, however and thought about almost losing Aleida; her brother had almost killed her. She had almost been forced to watch a woman she adored perish because of him again.

_"It's almost as if everyone you love perishes because of your choices."_

eanwhile, Aleida had awoken in her makeshift bed. The moment her eyes opened, she felt pain lancing through every inch of her body. Struggling to sit up proved to be a mistake as a wave of nausea completely overtook her; she turned her head and threw up all over the floor.

She coughed, spat out some stray chunks of vomit before wiping her mouth on her hand.

"Gods above and below..." Aleida moaned, struggling to stand.

She hissed sharply, balancing herself on a nearby stand. Pain lanced all throughout her midsection, so she lifted her shirt and found the stitch work that had been done by Maria. It didn't seem to be infected. In fact, it looked as if it had already begun to heal.

Aleida was a little confused, so she struggled from the room to look for Maria. Stumbling a little and leaning against the railing, she called out for her.

"Maria?"

Her throat was dry from lack of use in days and she was sure that it wouldn't be loud enough for Maria to hear her calling. Fortunately, Maria wasn't too far as she stepped out of Adeline's room when she heard Aleida's call.

"Aleida." she said, her voice almost a gasp of alarm; she made her way up to the younger woman. "You're awake."

"Yes." Aleida winced and touched her side, just as Maria set her hands on her arms to stop her. "How long was I out for?"

"A few days." Maria replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Mm," Aleida rubbed her head once and leaned into Maria for balance. "Hungry."

A small sound of amusement from Maria that seemed entirely too forced. Then, she considered something and her tone changed immediately.

"Do you remember anything?" she asked.

Aleida shook her head. "No. I just remember you carrying me below after..." Her eyes darkened with thought. "After I'd been stabbed by your brother's sword."

"And nothing else?"

"No, I'm sorry. It's all a blur."

She didn't remember the effects of the Blood. Nor did she seem to recall Maria's transformation. Perhaps both of those things were for the best. Aleida didn't seem to show after effects of the Blood Transfusion either, but Maria would keep an eye out for anything.

O

Aleida had noticed the change in Maria since she had been hurt.

As she cleaned her wound, she thought about how distant the older woman had seemed, despite what had happened with her brother. She approached her in her Clocktower that evening and found Maria sitting in her chair, contemplating.

"Aleida." Maria gestured with one hand for her to approach.

Aleida walked up to her and knelt down, resting her head in Maria's lap. She was given gentle strokes from Maria's hand through her hair. The younger woman was relaxed by the touch and she sighed softly, shutting her eyes. Maria didn't speak and Aleida sought to ease the tense silence.

"Are you angry with me?" she asked, hesitantly.

"No." Maria answered. "I was worried for you."

Aleida smiled somewhat. "You saved me from him. I am alive because of you."

"You were endangered because of me. Because of my family."

Aleida looked up at her now. She frowned, unable to comprehend Maria's sadness. Perhaps she didn't quite understand, but what she did know was that she wasn't dead and Maria had saved her.

The older woman watched her with an unreadable expression on her face. "I should have thought about what it would mean," she said. "That you would die. That another innocent person will perish for my selfishness."

"What do you mean?" Aleida felt the air grow colder and fear clutched her heart.

"You must leave this Nightmare."

Aleida felt as if she'd been stabbed in the chest. She pulled away from Maria, horror and anguish on her face. "What?"

"You have confronted your sins and became stronger for it." Maria's voice was cold and she blinked once. Twice. It was a struggle, more than she had ever thought it would be. "Now you are free to leave."

"I don't want to leave."

"It doesn't matter what you want. Your purpose is no longer here."

Aleida watched her rise, struggling to accept this. Her ears were ringing and she held out two hands. "I-Is this about what happened with your brother?" her voice was breaking. "That was nothing!"

"Don't be so naive," Maria forced a cold edge in her voice. "I know what keeps you here. And you will come to understand the irrefutable truth."

She leaned down to Aleida and tried to make her voice as convincing as she could.

"I will not love you."

Aleida looked like a child who had been hit for no reason. Tears began to well in her eyes as she seemed to struggle to come to terms with what was happening. Maria started walking away, swallowing thickly in an effort to ignore the small cries from the woman behind her.

"I don't understand!" Aleida cried, "Maria?"

The older woman glanced back only for a second, trying to ignore her.

"Maria!" Aleida shrieked, desperately.

She ran for the doors, but they roared shut and Aleida rushed into them before moaning, dropping to her knees. She beat on the door uselessly.

"Maria, please..." she pleaded, sobbing against the door, "I don't have anyone..."

Maria leaned against the door and ignored her pleas. She knew what would come next. She didn't want to see what would come next. This was for her own good. It had to be. She had to leave the Nightmare and search for a better life without her.

Aleida failed to see the spider-like creature appear overhead in the Clocktower; it was the same as before, from the Cathedral Ward.

She felt the embrace of its cold grip before she could flee.

Aleida's eyes snapped wide as she was carried up into the air; she could smell the scent of moonlight on this creature and knew it for the same smell as before. She saw it in every detail - spider-like body, a short tail and a head shaped like...

_The Amygdaloid. A part of the brain?_

_They sung praises to Amygdala..._

Aleida had learned stories of the Great Ones while here in the Nightmare. She had known all along what this creature was.

She pleaded for mercy, but it fell on deaf ears.

The great creature simply pulled her closer to its face, almond-shaped head pulsating with energy before she felt her world begin to darken. The last thing she heard was a haunting voice whispering in the far corners of her brain.

_...Curse the fiends, their children too..._

_...And their children, forever true..._

O

Adeline heard Maria's slowly approaching footsteps as she entered the room.

"I felt it." Adeline said, when she heard Maria sink into a chair across from her. Her voice was small, filled with anguish. "Aleida is gone from us. She has been returned to the world beyond the Nightmare."

Maria's voice was just as quiet. "I sent her home."

"What?" Adeline gasped, "What have you done, Lady Maria? You sent her...away? It was YOU?"

It was the first time Adeline had ever been so abrupt with her words; that cool, collective calm was gone now in place of disbelief and anger. Never had she been so bold with Maria, but she wanted answers. She wanted to know why she had cast aside the other woman.

Maria didn't chastise her for the assumption. She was just...tired.

"She must be allowed to live her life, Adeline," she said, quietly, "The Nightmare is no home for her."

"I understand that it isn't, but you've deprived her of that decision!"

"It was NOT hers to make!"

Adeline's voice quieted now. "Is that it, then?" she asked, sadly. "Is it also why you've never finished my treatments? Why you abandon me in the night?"

Maria bristled slightly. She didn't care for the accusation. "What are you talking about?"

"It wasn't to save me," Adeline explained, straightening where she sat, "And that wasn't to save Aleida. It was to protect you." She didn't see the glare on Maria's face, but somehow knew she had struck a nerve. "I know, my Lady Maria. I know. It's the same. It doesn't change..."

She shifted in her seat with a sad sigh and her voice grew quieter. "Nothing changes..."

Maria stared at her in silence for a moment before she covered her face with one hand. It ached to send Aleida away; she had never noticed how quiet the Research Hall felt once the woman was gone.

But this was better for her.

She had to live.

And the Nightmare was not a place for her.


	10. X

~O~

The first thing Aleida noticed was the air.

When she awoke, she was lying in the graveyard of the Cathedral Ward, stirred by the sounds of chatter from Yharnamites wielding torches, pitchforks and guns. She struggled to gain her senses back and quickly fled from the angry, shouting crowd.

Aleida stumbled over her feet, rushed toward a nearby Chapel and quickly slammed the door shut behind her, bathing her in darkness. She could hear nothing but her own heavy, frantic breathing. The Yharnamites seemed to lose interest in pursuing her after a while of beating at the door.

Finally, the weight of it all brought Aleida to her knees and she fisted her hands in her eyes, crying over the return to the real world. Maria had brought her back without even giving her a chance. It wasn't fair. It -

"Hello?"

Aleida looked up, startled to see a hunched figure make his way toward her; he was hooded and cloaked in red, his pale eyes, crooked smile and long fingers an unsettling sight.

He looked around, sniffing the air. "Very sorry, the incense must've masked your scent."

Aleida was uneasy, but he seemed to not be a threat. In fact, his hunched appearance, the way he rubbed his hands together told her plenty enough that he wouldn't try to harm her.

"What's happening out there?" she asked.

"These hunts have everyone all locked up inside. Waiting for it to end..." he explained, "It always does, always has, y'know. Since forever." His features filled with sadness and apprehension. "But it won't end very nicely, not this time. Even some folks hiding inside are going'bad. The screams of womenfolk, the stench of blood, the snarls of beasts... none of em's too uncommon now. Yharnam's done fer. I tell ya."

Aleida looked over her shoulder briefly before she slowly sank to her backside. The man regarded her curiously. "Your sad."

Aleida's throat tightened. "I was sent away from the Hunter's Nightmare. I must return! I must find a way back!"

His eyes widened now, resembling dinner plates. "What? You've returned from - How is that possible?"

"I was taken by that creature," Aleida explained, trying to calm her voice, "It snatched me away and sent me to the Nightmare where I..." She choked out a small, sorrowful sound. "And it brought me back because I was unwanted and unloved."

The man was still confused. "Lord Amygdala?"

"Yes!" Aleida brightened now. "Do you know of a way I can return?"

"You...want to go back? Are you mad?"

Maybe she was. Aleida had known that a part of her would find solace in the Nightmare in time; but it was Maria who had become the reason for that. She had sent her back to the waking world in an effort to be rid of her, but Aleida began to understand.

Maria sent her away to save her. She believed that Aleida's life was better lived outside of the Nightmare.

There had to be a way to return, but she was exhausted from her journey and running from the Yharnamites.

"May I stay here for a short while?" she asked the man. "I don't intend to be any trouble."

He brightened at the idea now, his smile wide. "No trouble at all!" he assured her, "This here's a safe place. Stay as long as you like. 'Cause there's nothing to fear here... Ha hah ha!"

Aleida smiled weakly in response.

She looked over her shoulder toward the doors and thought of the creature that had been perched outside, snatched her away into the Nightmare before she could come to terms with what had happened. Was it still there? Would it take her away again?

She didn't know right now. All she knew was that she needed rest.

O

Aleida couldn't sleep.

The sounds of screams outside of the Chapel kept her up, so she wandered about until she found a study and gathered a few books to page through. Most of them were religious texts regarding the Great Ones and the Church. Aleida had never found herself one for religion, but it did grant her some insight on what she was dealing with.

"You've been blessed by the Gods."

Aleida looked down and noticed the same strange man from before making his way toward her. He was smiling, as if awestruck by the thought. She, however, didn't understand.

"I - Oh! You mean my eye?" Aleida gestured to the missing lens in her glasses. "Yes, I suppose one might consider it a blessing..."

The man made his way to the table and climbed up onto a chair. His hunched form seemed to make it difficult to do so, but Aleida helped him and noticed the sick, gaunt state of his physical condition. She frowned thoughtfully and considered asking him, but he spoke first.

"The fact that you still got yer wits about you says a lot," he told her.

"Thank you." Aleida didn't know what else to really say to that.

He seemed happy with the response either way. "I'm just glad I could help someone. My mum always told me, everybody kept telling me, but I wanted to help someone. Glad I could help you."

Aleida smiled a little. "I've always wanted to help people too. That's why I became a doctor."

"A doctor, you say!" He looked surprised and delighted for some reason. "Can't have too many of those in Yharnam. We need 'em more than ever."

Aleida continued to read a few books that night and her mind went to Maria as it did. The Eye in her head begun to throb painfully. She rubbed the closed lid once, wincing with a hiss. Why did it cause her pain now of all days? It hadn't done so since it first burrowed its way into her skull.

The man laughed awkwardly now. "Not many talk to me, you know. But I'm...overjoyed, really. That you'd even give me the time o' day!"

Aleida stared down at him with a sad smile. "Of course. I'm sorry you've endured such cruelty from others."

He nodded his head once. "Makes me think, once dawn breaks, maybe I can just, you know, start-over. Makes it easier to bear all o'this, you see?"

Aleida couldn't argue with him.

O

A few days had passed and Aleida had begun to lose hope in finding a way back to the Nightmare.

No book within the Chapel had been useful to her; neither of them spoke of the Hunter's Nightmare or any way to enter it upon leaving. She was no Hunter nor was she one who had sinned any more. She had confronted her sins, destroyed them and became better for it.

Aleida sighed, rubbed her face with one hand before she stepped out of the Chapel and into the graveyard. She looked up toward the place where she had been taken and remembered the creature.

Taking a deep breath, she began to speak. "I don't know if you're there," she said, speaking above her, "I don't pray. I don't foster religion in my heart. I don't know what you truly are or what it takes to have you hear me. But I ask one thing... Please, please return me to the Nightmare."

Of course, there was no answer. There wouldn't be. Aleida should have known that.

She sighed, dropped to her knees and threw her hands in the air. "It isn't fair!" she shouted, "Why curse me with such feeling - no, such love only to take it from me?"

Something skittered through the graves and Aleida gasped softly, quickly whirling and shooting a blast of magic from her eye. It obliterated a gravestone and something darted passed in a black smear. Aleida scowled now, determined not to be surprised.

"Don't think I'll let you sneak up on me!" she spat.

A yelp as a shape quickly avoided another magical blast and Aleida was stunned to see an enormous spider scurry out from hiding, with the head of a man and a bell around his neck. Aleida backed away quickly once the strange creature crawled onto its spider legs and regarded her with dismay.

"Simple fool!" he hissed, "Do you always shoot first and ask questions later?"

Aleida blinked, staring down at him in shock. "What are you?"

He smiled at her, legs rubbing together. "The hours of the night are many, and the beasts more then I can count," he told her. "A veritable hunt unending! Not even death offers solace, as you've come to know. What a joy it is, to behold the divine. It must be such a pleasure. You're nigh on a beast of the field, but here you are, treading a measure with the gods."

Aleida sighed impatiently. "Get to the point."

"I have a gift!" the spider creature informed her, with a bright grin. "Ha, a most frightful fate, oh my. But I'm willing to do you a kindness."

He reached beneath him to his secondary limbs and held out a small object. Aleida frowned, bent down and retrieved it. It looked like a stone of some kind, but petrified with age.

"What is this?" she asked.

"An eye."

"Ew!" Aleida cried, dropping it with disgust.

He laughed loudly with mirth. "Really? You've but tampered with organs and the whole lot as a doctor, but an eye disgusts you so?"

Aleida frowned down at him. "Who are you?"

"Patches is my name. Oh! Oh, don't bother sharing yours. I know all about you, Aleida."

Aleida was immediately guarded and stepped away from him. "How?"

"Lord Amygdala, that's how!" Patches told her, with a delighted laugh. "She watches you. She wants to understand you. You are curious to desire eternal damnation for the sake of a murderer."

Aleida swallowed thickly and shut her eyes for a moment before she frowned at him. "I'm no fool. I understand she is not without sin. But I want to help her. I want her to face it and know that she doesn't have to face it alone."

"Well that really is touching," Patches remarked, continuing to laugh. "Which is why I'm offering you the eye."

Aleida glanced down at the petrified stone, picked it up and turned it in her hand for study. Upon careful observation, she realized it wasn't a stone at all, but an eyeball that had been removed from someone's head. The pupils had collapsed completely.

"It will take you back to the Nightmare. Don't dally you lucky scamp! The gift of the godhead cometh!" Patches exclaimed.

Aleida stared at him suspiciously. "What will the eye do?"

"Present it to our Lord and she will whisk you away to the Nightmare," Patches told her, gesturing overhead with one little leg, "I shared with you a thing most secret. Now you're witness to a miracle, and all the stronger for it! You should appreciate it, if you've a grain of gratitude in you!"

"You're helping me. What's in it for you, then?"

"Just the sight of a satisfied doctor running off to save her love is reward enough for me."

Aleida raised an eyebrow. Well, she didn't buy that for one second.

Patches chuckled and shook his head, small hands rubbing together. "Oh, doubt me not, sweet compeer. What is friendship, but a chance encounter?"

Aleida thought about his words. She held the eye close to her chest before staring up toward the Chapel once more. She saw nothing of the creature who had carried her away, but Patches seemed to believe she was there. No other option presented itself before her. She had to try.

Holding up the eye, Aleida simply waited for anything.

"Know this, friend," Patches told her, while they waited, "Once you go back, you can't leave. Not this time. Not when my God takes you."

Aleida smiled sadly. "I know."

Patches was amused by that. "Oh? Do you know? Well...if the fates smile upon us, we'll soon meet again. Farewell, dear friend."

Aleida's eyes widened when Amygdala flickered before her. A great hand reached out and seized the human woman tightly. She gaped, staring up at the almond-shaped head and Patches just watched the sight as Aleida was cast away in a ball of starlight.

"Oh Amygdala, oh Amygdala..." he murmured, shaking his head with a faint laugh, "Have mercy on the poor bastard."

O

Aleida's head was swimming.

She groaned softly, feeling warm ground beneath her. Opening her eyes, she noticed she was lying on a patterned floor that resembled the Chapel she had taken refuge in. Aleida looked around, seeing no signs of life around.

She sat up, climbed to her feet and walked out into the world, stunned to find that she now stood in a twisted, nightmarish version of Cathedral Ward. The sky rumbled with an approaching storm and Aleida looked toward the moon, swollen like the eye that had brought her here.

She looked toward the Clock Tower in the distance; the familiar sight of it made her heart race wildly in her chest. It looked so far away.

Well, she had to start walking.

She started toward a distant chapel when she heard snarls behind her. Aleida whirled, stunned to see several wild dogs stalking toward her. She turned and ran, spurring them on to pursue her. She raced toward the chapel, but froze in horror at the sight of a hulking brute swinging an axe, narrowly missing her and embedding itself in the floor.

"By the Gods!" she exclaimed.

The brute wore the tattered robes of the Executioner, hood draped over its face. Its face swirled with a violet haze. Tendrils snapped from its mouth and it gave a bellowing roar at her.

Aleida quickly ducked beneath its legs, rushed behind it toward a tight passage of roots. She rushed through them, mere moments as the brutish being swung its axe. It struggled to reach her through the passage, but Aleida was well out of reach.

She breathed a sigh of relief and peered up through the cracks of the roots. Well, this would take some time. She had to practice caution.

Meanwhile, Maria had wandered into the space where Aleida had once lived.

No lit candles.

No activity or new drawings.

It felt so utterly empty now. Even more than it had before. Aleida had been gone for a few days, but in the Nightmare, it felt like weeks.

Maria sat down at the desk Aleida once occupied; she noticed several drawings scattered about, notes and other little trinkets Aleida had collected. She pulled one of the drawing close and noticed it was a sketch of her sitting in the Lumenflower Balcony, watching the moon overhead.

A small, sad chuckle from Maria.

Then, she noticed a letter buried underneath some of the drawings and tilted her head curiously, pushing them aside to pull it out. It looked like it was written in Aleida's atrocious handwriting.

She stood and walked out of the room to read it.

_Maria,_

_I don't know if you'd ever read this, but I need to be honest with you, which is more than I know anyone has ever been. When I told you I would wait for you until this was was over, I meant every word of it. But I don't know if you're ready to leave that all behind for me. I know you've done horrible things. I don't know what they are, but I do know that you cannot face them. Not yet. You're not as ready as I am._

_I don't know how time is in the Nightmare. It feels like one second becomes an eternity; I don't know how long you've spent carrying this sin on your shoulders alone. I've seen how you are with me. I've seen your capacity for goodness and I know you can change for the better. I know you can face your greatest sin to save yourself. Just as you had done for me._

_I hope the day comes where we can be together and when it does, I will be there._

_Love now and always,_

_Aleida Laurent_

It occurred to Maria that Aleida had never spoken of her family name before. But that was not on her mind. She was stunned by the feelings of the letter. Did Aleida truly know of what happened in the Hamlet? Did she truly understand the severity of the slaughter that she had been a part of?

Maria sighed and slipped the letter into her inner coat pocket before walking into Adeline's room. She was met with silence and shook her head.

"Do you intent to ignore me forever?" she said.

Adeline didn't respond. She tapped her fingers against the arm rests.

"What I've done is not to be met with judgement from you," Maria said, her tone hardening now, "Aleida is safe, free and sure to find joy away from the Nightmare. You may sit here in silence if it comforts you, but I - "

"How long has it been since you've stopped seeing me, my Lady?" Adeline interrupted. "Do you know? It's been four hundred years. Four hundred years since I began my treatment. When Aleida arrived, you began to visit more often and talk to me. She gave you strength as you had for her. She would have set you free."

Maria was silent for a moment. "Even if that is true..." She smiled sadly now. "Why would I have been so cruel?"

O

Aleida stepped through the crimson slush with disgust.

She was making her way through a river of blood and gore, ignoring the corpses that moved and whispered to her. Some of them giggled and pointed while others leaned and swayed against walls and frightening statues. Aleida did her best to ignore them.

"She will laugh at you, love..."

"Poor thing. Wandering lost and aimless."

"Poor thing, indeed."

Aleida wandered into a building ensnared with vines and was surprised to find a man standing there. She cautiously approached and noticed he was wearing old, tattered clothes. A glowing lantern had been tied to his belt. His eyes were bandaged and he had a thin grey beard.

He sensed her approach and smiled. "Ah, someone with their wits still about them." he remarked, in an unusual accent, "Must've taken a wrong turn then, eh? Well, we're more alike than you think."

Aleida frowned, suspicious. "Who are you?"

"Who are YOU?"

"...Aleida."

"I am Simon. Simon the Harrowed, they call me." he told her, "You've seen the extent of the Hunter's Nightmare, where hunters end up when drunk with blood." He gestured behind him with a simple sweep of his hand. "You've seen them before. Aimless, wandering hunters, slavering like beasts. This is what the poor fools have to look forward to. So, don't be brash, turn back before it's too late."

Aleida knew very well what the Nightmare entailed. "I'm here to find someone. I don't intend to leave if I wanted to."

Simon chuckled. "Mm, you must have an interest in nightmares?"

"No, only in her."

"Yes, I see," Simon nodded. He lowered his voice and spoke severely now, "But beware, secrets are secrets for a reason. And some do not wish to see them uncovered. Especially when the secrets are particularly unseemly…"

Aleida looked around now. "Do you know how to reach the Clock Tower?"

"I do!" Simon told her, with a grin. "Do we have the same goal?"

"I don't know. I just want to get there." Aleida didn't trust him or that grin, but if she had someone to help her reach Maria, she could deal with that later. "Perhaps...we can help one another."

Simon nodded in agreement. So the two walked toward a distant building and Aleida rubbed her eye with one hand.

He looked at her. "Oh. You've been blessed by the Gods themselves. How merciful for you."

Aleida shook her head, staring at him strangely now. "I doubt the Gods have blessed me. Why does everyone believe it to be so?"

"Because it is. There are those who fight and kill for a glimpse of the Divine. Yet here you are," Simon continued, as they entered the building through a vast doorway, "The Sight itself has touched you. And you stand unscathed from its influence."

"I don't want to talk about this right now." Aleida told him, firmly. "I simply want to - "

Simon suddenly brought a finger to his lips. "Shh! We are not alone."

Aleida looked around and noticed piles upon piles of corpses. Her eyes widened in horror when one of them reached toward her, clawing at her trouser leg. She quickly backed away, out of reach as it gurgled in a male voice, whispering out words.

'Ahh, ahh, please... help us... Ah..." he pleaded.

A thunderous sound and the two looked up toward a set of stairs as a shape stepped down from them. Aleida looked stunned to silence as it approached them, breathing in several deep, sick sounds.

Its lower body was thin, and flayed with four asymmetrical hooved legs while the upper torso seemed dressed in Church garb; two long arms with large sharp talons, a disproportionate hunch in its back with a circular maw lined inside with irregular teeth and clusters of eyes.

And within its back was a sword.

That face...

It looked almost human, but seemed to be blind from the right eye; a melted visage of wrinkled skin and crooked teeth, stretched over an elongated head vaguely resembling that of a horse.

"An unsightly beast..." the corpse groaned, "A great terror looms! Ahh... Ludwig the Accursed is coming."

Simon reacted to the name. "Ludwig!" he exclaimed.

Aleida glanced at him, finding no meaning to the name, but Simon seemed to know the creature somehow. She watched as it - he - loomed over them with an angry gurgle.

"Have mercy... Have mercy upon us..." the corpse begged.

A series of giggles escaped the living thing and Aleida was momentarily distracted by it before Ludwig let out a piercing, enraged scream before charging at them.

O

Ludwig was fast, slipping through the blood and gore. Simon drew out a sword from his belt that folded into a bow. Aleida was amazed by the sight of the weapon as he took aim and fired arrows toward Ludwig's charging form. Several embedded into his sides and he screamed out, claws and teeth snapping at Simon.

Aleida didn't know what to do. She had only her sword and her eye. From the looks of Ludwig's immense size, it would take much more to bring him down. She wasn't even skilled with her sword to begin with.

Unfortunately, she had no time to think as Ludwig had turned attention to her now. He crouched before launching himself high into the air. Aleida watched, jaw dropping before she quickly scrambled out of the way as he landed to the ground, inches from her with a loud crash.

Teeth gnashing, he dove at Aleida, but her eye unleashed a blast of energy that obliterated his cheek, spraying blood through the air.

Aleida's sword whistled as she swung the blade. Simon took several more shots at Ludwig's head, attempting to blind the great beast.

Ludwig screeched out, trying to shield his eyes with one grotesque hand. Aleida unleashed another blast of magic from her eye, ripping a gash across his side. He recoiled, clawing at the wound before collapsing in a splash of crimson. The sword flipped from his back and embedded itself into the ground.

Aleida watched, awestruck by the blade as it flickered with glowing green starlight. She was suddenly entranced by the swirling glimmer of the blade. Simon had been taken by it as well; despite the bandages over his eyes, he appeared to look right at it.

Apparently, so was Ludwig.

His great head turned and locked to the sword. "Ahh..." he sighed, speaking in a deep, shaken voice, "you were at my side, all along."

A hand closed over the hilt and the two watched in muted disbelief as Ludwig rose to two legs, clutching the sword tightly. His jaws moved with every word he uttered in a way that was unnatural.

"My true mentor...My guiding moonlight..." he sighed, with longing.

Aleida looked at Simon. "What do we do now?" she cried.

Ludwig stalked slowly toward them, grinning toothily. The animalistic glint in his gaze was gone, replaced with something far more sinister.

Then, he dove for Aleida with his sword held high. She held her ground for several moments, just as Simon aimed his bow at Ludwig.

"Aleida! Go!" he shouted, "MOVE!"

Ludwig was mere inches from her when she suddenly dropped to her knees and clasped her hands together.

"Ludwig, have mercy," she whispered, "Great beastly legend, hear my words. I am your servant."

Much to Simon's shock, Ludwig had frozen, his sword inches from Aleida's face. She looked calm, but her entire body was shaking and her heard had started racing. She struggled to find her voice before looking up at the monstrous being. She had read of him when she had stayed at the Chapel; his exploits, his glorious Hunter days. She knew that speaking with humility would catch his attention.

Ludwig stared at her, slowly lowering his sword. "We shall see." he growled, softly.

Aleida looked at Simon, who stood there in astonishment. He slowly lowered his bow. Then, she focused her attention to Ludwig.

"I have no interest in secrets. Only her. I only want to see her again." she told the great beast of a former man.

Ludwig glanced toward Simon, then to her. He sat down and embedded his sword into the floor before sighing. "Have you seen the thread of light?" he questioned. "Just a hair, a fleeting thing, yet I clung to it, steeped as I was in the stench of blood and beasts." His voice dropped softer, filled with sadness. "I never wanted to know, what it really was. Really, I didn't."

Aleida shook her head. "I don't know what you mean."

Ludwig made a thoughtful grunt and glanced toward a door before looking back down at her. "Seek out Maria. Whatever fate awaits you is your own. Now...let me rest."

Aleida looked surprised. "How did you know?"

Ludwig made an effort to smile. "I understand. Your believe you can free her," he said. "That is a relief." He sighed softly and shut his eyes. "To know I did not suffer such denigration for nothing. Thank you kindly. Now I may sleep in peace."

He lowered himself further into the bloody pool to find comfort. Simon looked at Aleida and smiled now.

"Ah, yes, I see," he said, "You don't wish to seek the Nightmare's secrets. You love Maria."

Aleida's cheeks felt hot. "Yes. What of it?" she snapped, sensing something changing in his tone.

"You foolishly believe that you can save us all from this Nightmare with your love," Simon continued, shaking his head, "My naive child, you have no idea what truly lurks beneath the depths of this twisted place. Maria. She hides the real secret..."

"I don't care!" Aleida spat, feeling her hands inch toward her sword. "I will help her! There's always another way."

Simon laughed now. "Taken by the Nightmare, are you? Then I've no choice. Prepare yourself!"

Aleida gave a cry when Simon's bow folded back into a sword and he charged at her. Aleida jumped and ducked from the swing of his blade. All the while, Ludwig rested nearby, ignoring the two combatants. She stumbled several times before landing in the pool with an ungraceful splash.

Simon was upon her in an instant, holding his blade at her throat. She struggled against him, but despite his flimsy appearance, he was stronger than she expected him to be.

"It's such a pity that I must end you," Simon whispered, with effort, "This world...that village is the true secret. Testament to the old sins and I will put an end to it and rid us all of this curse. To reach it, I WILL kill Maria."

Aleida snarled struggling to push him from her. "No!"

"Don't let your little affections cloud you to what she truly is," Simon hissed, grasping her face to keep her from unleashing her magic from her eye. "If you saw the village for yourself, you too will understand."

Aleida grunted, kicked out her legs before her eye unleashed a blast of magic, oblitering Simon's hand in a spray of gore and blood.

He screamed, jumping from her and the sound alerted Ludwig. Lifting his head, he watched as Aleida and Simon grappled one another now, splashing through the pool of red. Several skeletons were laughing dryly, their voices like dry bone.

Aleida grabbed his good arm and the other missing fingers struggled to push her from him. She clawed at his face and it resulted in his blindfold being yanked off, revealing the eyes of a Beast.

She gasped, stunned by the sight. Simon hissed out through clenched teeth, seizing her throat with his good hand. Aleida grabbed at him before struggling to grasp his weapon lying near them. It must have fallen in the scuffle and she hadn't noticed.

Simon could see her reaching and he struggled to close his hand around her throat, but the loss of blood coupled with the strength weakening in his body failed him.

Aleida managed to get her fingers around the weapon and slashed Simon's arm, drawing a shout of agony from him. He released his grip on her and she rolled off of him, coughing several times and holding her throat.

Simon moaned, laying there as he bled his life away. When Aleida staggered to her feet, he shook his head slowly. "It feeds this Hunter's Nightmare. Please, bring to an end the horror..." he begged her.

She lowered the weapon slightly, frowning.

Simon choked out a sound of pain before laughing sadly. "So our forefathers sinned?" His eyes landed briefly to Ludwig. "We hunters cannot bear their weight forever." Another sound and he leaned back, closing his eyes mournfully. "It isn't fair, it just isn't fair..."

Aleida watched as he took several breaths before stilling.

She glanced toward Ludwig and lowered her head. Ludwig grunted thickly, gestured to the doorway before grasping his sword in one hand. Aleida watched as it shifted until it was small enough for her to hold. He offered it to her and she looked down at it, amazed.

"Even now in this Nightmare, I am guided by the Light," he told her. "But now? Now I can find my peace. I hope you do as well."

She nodded, taken by the offering.

Grasping the sword, she turned and made her way through the doors.

Whatever Simon spoke of, she wasn't sure how prepared she was to face it. But she had to.

For their sake.

For HER sake.


	11. XI

~O~

Adeline heard footsteps running toward her room and she gasped when the door was thrown open.

"Who is it?" she exclaimed. "Who's there?"

Aleida dropped the glowing sword, breathless. "Adeline!"

The woman bound to her chair squirmed with a stunned sound. "Aleida? Is it really you?" she exclaimed, when she felt arms thrown around her in an embrace. She hadn't quite expected that. "Oh! Oh... It is, isn't it? How is it possible? How have you returned?"

Aleida shook her head, parting. "I've come back and I must see Maria. Is she in the tower?"

Adeline sounded troubled now. "I don't know. She came to me moments ago and said she had to put an end to it." she explained. "Please, she sounded strange before she left. You must go up to see her. I fear..." She choked out a tearful sound. "I fear she may be doing something terrible!"

The other woman had a feeling she knew just what that meant. "I'll go. I'll go now!"

"Be careful, Aleida." Adeline pleaded, fingers tugging at her coat sleeve as much as she could. "Please... She is more fragile than she seems."

Aleida furrowed her brow. "Alright."

How the roles had changed; Adeline remembered how shy, frail and uncertain Aleida had seemed and it felt so long ago. Now she was walking into danger without even considering the consequences. She had returned to the Nightmare for Maria. That was proof enough that her love was real.

"I have missed you so." Adeline told her, a smile of relief in her voice.

Aleida smiled and nodded. She had missed them both. Then, she glanced over her shoulder, took her new sword and walked out of the room. Making her way up the steps toward the Clocktower felt as if it took an entire decade; she was running quickly to reach Maria, but she felt exhausted from her walk and her fight with Simon.

Still, she pressed on. Determined to reach her before she did something horrible...

No, she wouldn't think of that. She had to focus.

Once Aleida made it to the Clocktower, the air immediately chilled her to the bone. She stepped inside and was stunned to find the hands of the great clock had been folded downwards, revealing a pathway that led out into the nightmarish world. But it was different and gave her a new feeling she hadn't felt before. And the smell... Gods above, it reeked of death.

She carefully approached now, peering out into the pouring rain.

There was a canopy that led down into a watery path. Staring ahead, she noticed what looked like a small village in the distance. How strange, but the Hunter's Nightmare had never been normal.

Aleida stepped through and slipped on the canopy a little before she carefully made her way down into the wet path, landing hard onto two feet. Immediately, she heard a chanting of voices in her head; like a horrible, frightening humming sound.

She winced, dropped the sword and held her head in two hands in an effort to block out the sounds. Her eye throbbed painfully, crackling with energy. Roaring, swirling through her brain like the very storm around her.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it..." Aleida moaned.

Strangely enough, the pain subsided and the voices quieted down. Aleida opened her eyes, somewhat perplexed by this. Looking around her, she saw nothing out of the ordinary or threatening. She didn't think on it for long, picked up the sword and continued on.

As Aleida walked forward, she eventually saw a moving shape in ripped cloth staggering about, uttering soft words. Cautious, Aleida walked up to him, holding her sword close to her side.

"Hello?" she said. "Sir? Have you seen someone pass here?"

The man was hunched over, mumbling continuously as if she hadn't spoken to him. "Byrgenwerth... Byrgenwerth... Blasphemous murderers... Blood-crazed fiends..." he growled, between gurgles and snorts, "Atonement for the wretches...By the wrath of Mother Kos... Mercy for the poor, wizened child... Mercy, oh please..."

Aleida continued to implore. "Sir, please, I must - "

She cut herself off when she noticed his face now; twisted scales, hideous cracked teeth and blank, pale, lifeless eyes. He resembled less of a human and more of a fish.

He met her eyes now and he looked absolutely forlorn. "Lay the curse of blood upon them, and their children, and their children's children, for evermore." he murmured, continuing to speak as if she wasn't there. "Each wretched birth will plunge each child into a lifetime of misery. Mercy, for the poor, wizened child...Let the pungence of Kos cling, like a mother's devotion..."

"Kos..." Aleida pondered the name. "Mother Kos?"

He smiled at her now and a moment of awareness touched his face. He looked down and held out one hand, dripping with slime and water. Aleida hesitantly reached out and he held out his other hand, taking her wrist and turning it around so that her palm faced upwards.

Those fingertips touched Aleida's and immediately she was presented with a projection of the Hamlet before it had fallen to the Nightmare. It was filled with children, mothers and fathers fishing, singing, teaching... Such a sight to behold.

The man made sick snorting sounds, watching the scene unfold as well. Aleida noticed two ghostly apparitions of laughing children run passed her. She smiled sadly at the sight.

"Is this a memory?" she asked.

The man didn't answer her question, but murmured softly under his breath. "Curse here, curse there. A curse for he, and she, why care." He chanted it like a mantra, "A bottomless curse, a bottomless sea, source of all greatness, all things that be. Listen for the baneful chants. Weep with them, as one in trance. And weep with us, oh, weep with us..."

"I don't understand."

Aleida looked up when she noticed the apparition of a man running toward a tall figure who looked and dressed like the grotesque being holding her hand. He seemed excited about something and gestured toward the shoreline. The two men called several people with spears and they disappeared to seek out the source of interest.

The illusion changed, now taking form of a beach-side where Aleida noticed several figures bowing before a corpse that had washed up on shore. She had never seen such a thing before; a shape with glimmering blue scales as bright as the sun, fish-like spines, ribbons of what looked like hair...

"What is it?" she whispered, stunned.

"Mother Kos..." the man gurgled, "Listen for the baneful chants. A call to the bloodless, wherever they be. A call to the bloodless, wherever they be. Fix your ears, to hear our call."

This was once Kos, the God they worshiped. Aleida had been taken by her presence and somewhere, she heard a female voice whispering to her.

_"Look and see!"_

Aleida glanced up when the illusion changed; she could see shapes over the hillside, approaching the Hamlet armed with swords, shields, spears and other dangerous tools for killing. She squinted at the sight, making out unfamiliar faces. But one of them sunk her heart.

Maria.

She was standing beside an older man in a top hat and hunter's clothes. He wielded a dangerous scythe in both hands.

Aleida looked down at the Hamlet, then back up to the group of armed individuals who were clearly intent on slaughter. She moaned with anguish and shook her head, trying to deny the sight of what came next.

"No..." she whispered. "Wait, don't!"

She knew it was useless as the hunters were already making their way into the Hamlet, passing through her as the horrible memory unfolded. The man watched her with a grin of sharp teeth, delighting in her emotional anguish of what had happened.

Aleida could only stare, horrified as Hamlet villages were brutally massacred before her. She couldn't take her eyes away as several were decapitated, their skulls pried open for the Eyes on their brains. it was like watching a horror show unfold and she didn't want to see any more. Slowly shaking her head, her hands went to her face, but the man stopped her by seizing her wrists.

_"LOOK!"_ he whispered jagged teeth close to her ear.

She saw it all; she saw the villagers pleading for mercy, dying at the hands of the hunters around them. She saw the blood spilled, the eyes rolling from their damaged skulls...

"Stop, please..." she begged, "No more."

The man merely laughed dryly. "'Stop, please. No more'." he mocked, in a cruel voice.

Aleida shook her head, anguished by the death around her. She saw Maria among them and shakily reached out to touch her shoulder, but the illusion dissipated in smoke, leaving her alone with the fish-like man.

"Scales are suffering, the grief of Kos." he whispered. "She wanders to make amends. She will find the fury of the Mother."

Aleida struggled to come to terms with what she'd witnessed. This was worse than she had imagined and she started to leave, but stopped when she noticed an illusion of Maria walking by, dragging her bloodied sword behind her. She furrowed her brow, followed the illusion as it walked toward a well. The man followed silently behind her, saying nothing.

The illusion of Maria stared down at the well before throwing her sword into it. Aleida looked stunned, watching as Maria slowly sank to the ground, staring down at her blood-soaked, shaking hands. A hunter approached her and shook her shoulder, but Maria didn't seem willing to talk.

Aleida sighed, as if releasing a heavy burden and sat down beside the illusion. "Oh, Maria..." she said, softly, despite the lack of response from what wasn't there. "Where do we go from here?"

O

Sounds of pain snapped Aleida out of her reverie.

She took her sword and jolted to her feet, making her way deeper into the Fishing Hamlet. It was composed of a wide market plaza surrounding a large well; a communal area filled with habitation huts, overlooked by a large lighthouse in the distance. It was decayed with coral sprouting everywhere. The man who had shown her the illusions had resumed his task of walking and chanting to himself.

Aleida followed the sounds toward a hut where she was stunned to see a fish man bleeding and lying on his side in a puddle of water. He had scales, slime covering most of his body, a crest of spines along his back and throat, ripped trousers and remnants of hair along his cheeks.

He looked to have been wounded by a sword, given the slash. She was cautious about approaching him, but he glanced down at the water's reflection and noticed Aleida within it.

Hissing a deep, rattling sound; he whirled on her, eyes pools of black and sharp teeth bared. Aleida jumped back somewhat and he smirked now, his eyes relaxing into peculiar, human-like brown.

"Did you smell the blood, doctor?" he hissed, in a strange accent.

Aleida blinked once. Twice. "Who... What are you?" she asked. "Who did that to you?"

The man chuckled thickly and didn't answer her question. "You can see me, love? The real me? The Mother blessed you. She has mercy even still for the damned."

"See you?" Aleida questioned. "What do you mean?"

"We appear as we really are to the enlightened," the man explained, through a groan of pain, "And you see us with all your sanity intact." A dry, wheezing laugh followed. "Mother must love you."

Aleida looked down at his wound; being closer to him allowed her to see that it was, in fact, a sword slash across his shoulder. She reached out to touch it with careful fingers. "Let me help you."

Surprisingly, he didn't argue with her, but bared those rows of sharp, dangerous teeth even so. It was like a trapped animal, being made to face a potential foe. She tore her coat a little along the ends and began to wrap up his shoulder with it. The man watched her, still hissing aggressively, but not attacking her either. His teeth continued to remain bared the entire time.

When Aleida was finished, she sighed and backed away. "Well, it's far from elegant. But it should stop your bleeding for now."

"Well, a good Samaritan. What a rare treat these days."

Aleida didn't want to bring up what had happened with the hunters. It seemed far from appropriate, but she understood where his remark had come from. She merely gave him a weak smile in response.

The man laughed now, rising to his feet. "Well then. You want to find the huntress? Follow me, then."

"How did you know?"

"Mother tells us everything."

Aleida wasn't so certain, but the fish man was walking off anyway without waiting for her to make a choice. He retrieved his spear and glanced briefly back at her, albeit hesitantly.

"What's your name?" Aleida asked, to ease the tense silence.

"Ahh, my name? Oh, it's hard to remember our names," he replied. He seemed to consider it for a while, jaw almost slack in thought before he glanced at her again. "I think my mother called me Edvin." He hissed with laughter. "Yes, Edvin. It's been too long, love. Forgive me. First thing to go is our human memories."

Aleida nodded in agreement. "I'm Aleida."

"Where do you hail from, Aleida?"

"A small town. Not unlike this one."

Edvin giggled, his scales shimmering with every movement. "I doubt that very much." he remarked. "You have corrupted fish people there as well?"

"You'd be surprised."

"Look around. Would I?"

Aleida chuckled weakly. "I suppose not."

Edvin laughed again, studied her up and down before he gestured for her to follow. The human and former human wandered side-by-side into the Nightmare and Aleida marveled at how intriguing, yet bizarre it felt.

Edvin began to hum a song to himself to ease the silence.

It was an old pirate song.

_Come all you young sailormen, listen to me_   
_I'll sing you a song of the fish in the sea,_   
_and it's..._

_Windy weather boys, stormy weather, boys_  
_When the wind blows we're all together, boys_  
_Blow ye winds westerly, blow ye winds, blow_  
_Jolly sou'wester, boys, steady she goes._

_Up jumps the herring, the king of the sea,_  
_Saying, 'All other fishes, now you follow me!'_  
_and it's..._

Aleida glanced down at him and grinned. She couldn't help it.

Edvin sung softly to himself before gesturing for her to sing with him. It took her a few tries, but she was able to follow along with the lyrics after all and they shared a pleasant moment of song as they made their journey.

O

Edvin led the way through the village, spear held out with the blade pointing forward. Several other fish people passed them without much acknowledgement. Aleida was troubled by the blank, dead stares from a few. Edvin shook his head, gesturing toward the lighthouse.

"Don't look at them." he whispered. "Don't make eye contact."

Aleida frowned down at him now. "Why are you helping me?"

"Mother knows best. Best of us all." Edvin told her. "Best not to anger mother. Her wrath is frightening. It's why we're here. Why they watch us."

"They?"

Edvin snickered and pointed up with one claw. Aleida glanced up and was stunned to see several spider-like shapes crouched on the huts and hills of the hamlet. They looked like Amygdala, but a few had tentacled mouths and many bulging eyes.

The creatures tracked their movement, heads slowly turning as the two made their way up the hillside toward the lighthouse. Though it seemed as if they saw them, they made no move to attack or do much of anything else. In fact, all they seemed interested in doing was watching. Aleida felt herself stripped bare before them and made an effort to keep her eyes to the ground. She didn't want to look at them.

Just then, a fish man stepped out from behind a rock, wielding a spear and flanked by two strange dogs that also resembled fish. Their teeth were sharp, their eyes wide and angry.

The man was different from Edvin; he was massive and wore a robe made up of mollusks and eyes. His lower jaw was extended outward with crooked teeth and one eye was missing from his head. He had webbed feet and fingers.

Aleida tensed, ready for an attack to come, but looked down, surprised when Edvin brandished his spear with an animal screech when the other fish man started to move toward her. The larger being seemed confused, took another step and Edvin brandished his spear once more, crouched low in front of Aleida. They seemed to share a peculiar conversation in their tongue; it consisted of clicks, hisses and chirps that almost appeared heated.

Aleida was worried and especially so when the dogs tried snapping at her heels. Edvin knocked one of them back with the end of his spear and it tumbled across the dirt. The larger fish man stared at Aleida with his good eye and she watched a human-like awareness cross his face before he begrudgingly stepped aside.

"Come on, then. He's fine now." Edvin whispered, swatting her backside with the end of her spear to get her to move. "Hurry up!"

"What did you tell him?"

"Nothin'. He knows what Mother wants. He ain't stupid. Well...THAT stupid."

Aleida followed him as they made their way toward the lighthouse. Several more fish people watched them, snarling softly, but doing nothing to approach this time.

_"Mother is dead, her baby, taken."_

_"Do you hear it? A sealess void, the lair of beasts. Where the blood-crazed roam."_

_"Do you hear the sealess void? The lair of beasts, the blood-mad roam."_

Aleida listened to the whispers from the fish people, unsure of what they meant, but she knew she would find out very soon once she found Maria.

"It's been too long since we've suffered," Edvin whispered, casting his gaze toward the moon, "She suffered for her sins. If Our Mother wills it so, then so it shall be."

"I see. So what must I do?" Aleida asked, "Where is Maria?"

"Last I saw her, she ran toward the beach where Mother resides. For a skilled huntress, I don't think she'd fare well against sheer numbers." Edvin replied, with a sigh.

"We keep going." Aleida said, firmly. "We must. For all of us."

Edvin glanced up at her, then smiled broadly. "Of course, of course. Mother knows best of us all. She saw you and spoke of you to us. You've become stronger and wiser for it, all the same. Bless Mother and bless you."

Aleida cast her worried gaze toward the beach. She didn't know what to expect.

She certainly didn't feel blessed.

O

Maria's hand dripped with blood.

She felt empty.

_"Suicide, darling? Honestly, I didn't believe you'd try the same mistake twice."_

She had been laying against a rock, watching the edge of the shoreline. Her blood was dripping from the puncture wound she'd received from the spear. It had taken her by surprise, but given how her mind felt clouded with loss, she hadn't seen the attack.

The illusion of her mother stood at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the ocean. A sigh of longing, followed by a chuckle that wasn't hers.

_"Hm. Well, I suppose it's not the fate I had pictured for you..."_

Meanwhile, Aleida and Edvin made their way through the lighthouse before she froze at the sound of a bell ringing in the distance. Confused, she froze and Edvin raised his head, scenting the air through his wide, flaring nostrils. His eyes widened and he looked toward the rooftops, just as a figure appeared in a mist of red.

Wearing the pelt of a beast.

Wielding a club that he punched through his chest, coating it in bloodied spikes.

He looked familiar to Aleida, but she couldn't place how. Edvin brandished his spear at the man and bared his teeth. "Brador's come to play."

"Brador?" Aleida asked, watching as the man dressed in a red haze approached them slowly, "Who's Brador?"

Edvin smiled up at her. "He preserves the secrets of the Nightmare from curious little ones like you. But you are here for another purpose. He will not hear me."

Aleida stood there, holding the glowing sword as she squared herself for a possible fight with this new foe. "What do we do?" she whispered.

"Run." Edvin told her. "I'll play with him for a while and keep him busy. You find the huntress."

"But..."

Edvin gave a low hyena laugh. "Don't worry about me, doctor. I'll be fine. You go."

"No, I can't let you I - "

Brador was charging for them and Aleida looked down at the sword. "Gods, how did he do this?" she cried, slapping at it with one hand.

Brador jumped into the air, weapon raised high over his head. Aleida grimaced, swung the sword with all her might toward him. It crackled with starry light and unleashed a wave of magic at him. It cleaved through the man, dissipating him into nothing but bloody raindrops.

Edvin watched with awe. "Well, that won't hold him off, but it was a lovely sight."

Aleida stared at him, stunned. "What? I killed him!"

"No, love. You just made him mad. He'll be back in a few minutes." Edvin told her. He turned to face her completely, slime dripping from his jaws. "You go now. Find her and don't worry about one little fish in the sea, yeah?"

True to what he said, the sound of a bell ringing filled the air and once more, Brador reappeared in a spray of red mist, weapon at the ready. Edvin gestured to Aleida to run.

"GO!" he shouted.

Aleida nodded and turned, running through the village. She hurried toward the beach and had a feeling that Maria would most likely be there.

O

Maria slowly made her way toward the edge of the cliff. She could feel the icy wind and rain pelting her cheeks and hear the whispers from the illusion of her mother, who stood there with a smile on her face and her arms behind her back. She waited for Maria to finally end it.

Meanwhile, Aleida was hurrying her way through the caverns calling Maria's name. She pushed her way through women with bodies of slugs, fishmen who tried to tear her to ribbons. Spurred on by her need to find Maria and survive, she was clawed at, bitten and struck.

Still, she rushed on.

Aleida had never been so strong. She had never thought of herself wielding a sword of Moonlight, rushing through a nightmarish realm of beasts to find the woman she loved. But she was here and willing to do whatever it took to prove herself.

She saw light at the end of the cave and much to her relief, spotted Maria at the end of the cliff. But her smile faded, replaced with horror when she noticed the woman raising her leg to leap off the edge.

"Maria, don't do it!" she cried.

Maria didn't hear her. She closed her eyes and sighed softly. It would be over...

"NO!" Aleida shouted.

Maria was hit full force by Aleida, who lunged into her and knocked her completely away from the edge of the cliff. Both women rolled across the grass for a moment and finally were still.

Aleida climbed on top of Maria, cupping her cheeks. "Maria? Maria, please..." she pleaded.

Maria seemed to be in a daze for a moment. She stared up at Aleida through heavy, lidded eyes, as if exhausted. Then, a breathless smile lit her face and she looked at the woman with a mixture of awe and confusion, holding Aleida's face in two hands.

"Aleida?" she gasped, fingers brushing Aleida's cheeks, as if she struggled to understand if the younger woman was real, "Are you here?"

Aleida nodded her head frantically, exhausted. "I'm here! Oh, Maria, I am!"

She felt arms hold her tightly and she shared a long, passionate kiss with the older woman; it was strong, exhibiting every ounce of desperation and relief to finally, finally be there in her arms again. Maria seemed unwilling to release her and that was just fine.

"Oh, Gods, forgive me," Aleida moaned, tearfully, "I couldn't go. I couldn't go back..."

Maria stared at her now, sighed and shut her eyes with something akin to reverence. To think the thought of never seeing Aleida again...

She held her close, listened to the soft crying from the other woman for a moment before parting and staring up at her. Her eyes fell to the sword and she looked amazed.

"What? How did you...?" Maria gasped, sitting up now.

Aleida shook her head. She glanced down briefly before focusing on Maria with firm resolve. "I know of the hamlet below and its inhabitants." she told her. "I know what was done to them."

Maria's eyes widened. She felt suddenly stripped bare before her. It was a new feeling of vulnerability that she had never felt before. Aleida's eyes were filled with confusion, sadness and many other emotions never before on her face. Aleida took her hand into hers.

"I know you grieve for what you've done," she continued, "I know your guilt, but sitting idly by is not how it should be fixed. I came back to help set you free from it just as you did for me. I've gotten stronger from all of my time here, from the things you've shown me. And I returned because I love you."

Maria looked stunned by the confession.

"I know you said those things because you felt it was in my best interest," Aleida said, with a sad smile, "But you were wrong. YOU are what is my best interest. And now, it's my turn to help you."

Maria was brought to her feet and Aleida winced, leaning on her sword a little. She was tired from the trip through the Nightmare. The older woman looked toward the horizon and she released a tired sound through her nose. She knew what had to be done.

O

The two women made their way toward the mouth of a cave that led to the beach. Aleida started to go through, but Maria had stopped, watching the cave with apprehension. Aleida looked back at her, took her hand and helped guide her through.

"Together." she assured her.

Maria shut her eyes, then looked down at Aleida. How had such a woman crossed her path? How had the roles changed so much?

_Mother was wrong._

_She did not die. I did not kill her._

On the beach rested the corpse of Mother Kos. Aleida was transfixed by the sight. She started forward, but Maria quickly took her wrist to stop her.

Aleida stopped, stared down at the hand that clutched her with unusual desperation. She met Maria's eyes and they looked at her with such anguish.

"Don't." Maria whispered.

"I must." Aleida told her, with a sad smile. "I must see."

Maria held her tightly for a few moment, resisting before eventually releasing her grip. Aleida made her way to the corpse of Kos; still as brilliant and glorious as she had been in life, without a doubt. She looked as if she had recently washed ashore, despite years of being deceased.

The throbbing was back in her head and Aleida winced, enduring whispers and anguished moans from a force unseen. She knelt down before the great form, lowered her head close to the human-like lips of Kos' mouth. Maria watched the sight from a distance with a grave look on her face.

Aleida rested her head across Kos and seemed to be listening for something before she glanced down at the swollen flesh of the creature's belly. Her eyes widened and she scrambled away from it as it begun to writhe.

She immediately made her way to Maria's side and they watched as something slowly slipped out from Kos' abdomen. Steam rose up and immediately, Aleida's nostrils were overpowered by the smell of birthing fluid and blood. But something was wrong; it smelled rotten, as if it had decayed in the sun for days.

Something gurgled, taking deep breaths and the two stared as a tall, skeletal humanoid rose from the smoking gore of Kos' insides. Its mouth was permanently fixed in a rictus grin and its skin was pasty blue.

A placenta was dragged behind it and Aleida couldn't take her eyes away from the sight.

The being seemed to ignore them, staring up at the sky mournfully.

When Aleida gasped, it suddenly looked back at them, black eyes a storm of wrath and anguish. Its features contorted in rage and it looked from Aleida to Maria, then lingered on Maria before letting out a high-pitched, frightening scream.

Finally, it ran toward them, dragging its placenta with it.

Maria pushed Aleida out of the way, moments as the creature lunged for her, placenta shifting into a blade, mere seconds as Maria's sword collided with it.

O

Aleida watched the fight between Maria and the larger being, uncertain of what to do. She felt utterly helpless, unable to do anything, despite knowing that this was Maria's goal.

_"...End..."_

The voice was there in her head again. It created a painful ache in her temples and she rubbed them with her hands before looking back at Kos' lifeless body. The whispers had come from her somehow. Aleida realized that perhaps she was still alive. Somehow.

"What?" she asked, kneeling down before the corpse.

_"...For child..."_

_"...For us..."_

_"...Return to the sea..."_

The creature swung its placenta and Maria ducked low to avoid it. Her swords struck its side, drawing a shriek of pain and rage from its lips. Every hit she made on it, flashes of memory filled her head.

_Gehrman cutting the infant free from Kos' body._

_ _Experimentation._ _

_ _Pain._ _

_ _So much pain._ _

The Orphan.

Without it's mother.

Fingers grabbed Maria's wrist that held her sword, forcing her arm back violently to snap her arm from its socket.

Maria screamed.

Aleida looked up sharply with horror. She immediately rushed toward the fight and Maria hissed with effort, looking toward her. Her eyes widened and she shook her head, grunting out in pain.

"STAY BACK!"

Aleida froze, watching with horror as Maria struggled for her sword with her good hand. The creature glared at her, snarling through slime and blood. Her sword split and she retrieved her dagger, bringing it up into the creature's chest with all the strength she possessed.

A sharp wail burst from its mouth and it tossed its head, releasing her arm and thrashing blood about; it sprayed Maria's face and she groaned, falling flat on her back. Aleida quickly rushed to her side and the creature staggered from them, clawing at its chest.

Aleida tried to help Maria stand and the woman struggled to her feet, arm hanging limply at her side. She hissed with effort and pain, starting toward the creature.

"Let us end it..." she whispered, eyes brimming.

She grasped the blade, forced it deeper into its chest. The gurgling scream that burst from its throat curdled Aleida's blood and she could only watch, stunned as it weakly grasped at Maria's cheeks, staining them with its blood. For a moment, they locked gazes and Maria's eyes widened with anguish.

Aleida didn't move. She didn't breathe.

"Forgive me..." Maria whispered, to the creature. "Be at peace."

She yanked her weapon free from its body and it collapsed with several gurgles and hisses. Maria dropped to her knees and Aleida quickly rushed to her side, catching her before she could collapse into the sand. She looked down at her arm and shook her head.

"Gods, your arm..." she moaned.

"It's...I think it's broken..."

A hissing sound filled the air and the two looked down at the dead creature, watching as its body dissipated into flecks of black dust that took shape of a phantom kneeling over Kos' body. It appeared to be weeping wordlessly and Maria immediately stood up.

"Maria, wait!" Aleida pleaded, "You're hurt."

"It isn't over..." Maria hissed, "I must slay it's shade. That is it's true shape."

She retrieved her fallen weapon and stalked toward the black shade. Aleida helped her when she limped too far to the right by balancing her against her shoulder.

The closer they got to the shade, the louder the voices in Aleida's head grew. She shut her eyes tightly, making an effort to ignore them; they spoke in exhausting sentences and so quickly that she could not make out what was being said.

But when Maria cut her weapon through it, the voices abruptly stopped and the shade dissipated into a cloud of black ash that was swept toward the horizon. They could only stare, amazed as the sun had begun to rise and the rain ceased to fall.

Aleida and Maria had both felt it.

Kos and Her child were finally at peace.

And now, so was Maria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not over yet, one more chapter to go! Also, Edvin is okay, I promise. The song he sings is an except from "The Fish Of The Sea".


	12. XII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I chose a theme song for Aleida that inspired me. It's "Quiet's Theme" (DB tender) by Donna Burke from Metal Gear Solid.

~O~

Edvin was still alive.

Aleida was shocked to see him waiting for them when they passed through the hamlet. There were no other fish people to be seen and he looked unharmed. She had expected Brador to have torn him apart after she rushed away to find Maria.

"Told you not to fear for me, love," Edvin hissed, with a chuckle, leaning on his spear, "Brador vanished as soon as you did. He knew what we were up to."

Aleida looked at Maria. "He helped me reach you. I wouldn't have done it without him."

Maria glanced at Edvin hesitantly. She started to speak, paused once more, and then finally responded. "Thank you..."

Edvin nodded once. He said nothing more on the matter and instead, looked toward the clear sky with a smile on his twisted features. He closed his eyes and sighed softly.

"It's quiet," he murmured, "The Mother and Child are at peace. Now? Now, so are we. At last."

"What will you do now?" Aleida asked.

Edvin thought about it. "Hm. Perhaps I'll return to my old duties."

"What were those?"

"Fishing."

He walked away now, laughing to himself. He began to sing the song he'd sung to Aleida again as he walked to rejoin the rest of his kin.

Aleida watched him go before she helped Maria back to the Research Hall. They said nothing at first and Aleida led her into an operating room. Maria still clutched her weapon in one hand while hissing at the pain in her shoulder. Aleida gestured to a table.

"Sit here." she said, gently.

She swept a few things from it and Maria climbed onto the table, fighting back the pain with every movement. Aleida helped her unbutton her coat, then her shirt and collar. Once her arm was freed, Aleida gasped at the sight of it.

There was swelling in Maria's shoulder, the limb visibly out of place.

"Alright, lay down," Aleida said, gently pushing her back on the table with two hands.

Maria did as she said, wincing a few times in the process. Aleida stood beside her and took her wrist in both hands, bringing it straight and level with her body. Maria hissed sharply and Aleida looked at her, soothingly shushing. Maria blushed deeply, annoyed with feeling so utterly vulnerable, but unable to do much about it.

"It's okay," she assured her. "It'll be quick."

"I'm not a child, Aleida. Don't suggest I am without the ability to endure."

"I'm doing nothing of the sort. I'm trying to comfort you."

Maria chuffed out a breath, shutting her eyes. Aleida angled Maria's forearm and hand downward before moving her arm toward her head, making small circular movements in the process. Maria hissed sharply, clutching the table with her good hand.

"Don't move." Aleida encouraged, gently.

It took a few moments before Maria winced at the grinding pop in her shoulder. Aleida smiled with relief and watched her slowly rise. She tested her fingers a few times and the younger woman carefully took them into her hand, gently caressing.

Maria sighed softly, leaning into her.

"To think I did not believe I would hear your voice again, after all this time," she said, softly.

"Why did you send me away?" Aleida asked, so suddenly.

Maria blinked, surprised by the question. She looked at Aleida and her features filled with sadness. "I thought it was obvious. I thought you knew."

"I want to hear it from you."

Maria searched her eyes for something, finding the strength she had gained from spending time with her. Aleida had changed so much and for the better.

"I wanted you to live a life better for you," Maria explained, "The Nightmare?" She looked around the room, shut her eyes briefly and exhaled. "It's not a life I want for anyone."

"Mm-hm..." Aleida continued to watch her. "What else?"

Maria frowned now and Aleida didn't take her eyes away. The starry green light in the eye that was touched by the Gods swirled in a soft, gentle glow.

"I..." Maria hesitated. It was so strange for her to feel such. She always knew what to say, always what to do. "I feared the thought of watching you die."

Aleida was satisfied with the response. She nodded with a sad smile. "I know."

"Oh?"

Aleida slipped her arms around her waist, pressing her forehead against hers. "To fear losing someone is what makes us human. To be vulnerable is what makes us brave."

Maria raised an eyebrow. "A saying from your mother?"

"No. From me. Just now."

She chuckled and Maria shook her head. Such a bizarre woman, but she truly did miss her voice.

Aleida hugged her tighter and she flinched with a thick grunt of discomfort. The younger woman giggled sheepishly, quickly pulling away from her tender arm.

"Oh! I'm sorry." she said.

Maria made a face. "Hm. Well, I can say not much else has changed." she quipped.

Aleida giggled now, burying her face in her chest. After a few moments, she looked up at her.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

In truth, Maria did not know. At least, not quite yet. She leaned back to fit her shirt, coat and collar back on before stepped off of the table.

"We rest," she finally said.

Aleida was certainly not opposed to that.

O

_Several Months later_

Aleida hammered a nail into the wood of the roof of the new cottage.

It had been a little home she was building by the beach side after she'd learned she was going to stay living in the Nightmare for the rest of her existence. It had also been something she wanted to build after she learned that Maria had fully intended on a home by the water for Sonja.

She winced when she accidentally struck her thumb and hissed, bringing the bruised digit into her mouth. A laugh below her and she glanced down at Edvin, who was carrying a net full of fish.

"Yes, I am aware of how ridiculous I look, Edvin," Aleida quipped.

He grinned widely. "Are you almost finished? I know Maria knows you're up to something."

Aleida began to climb down the ladder. "Yes, it's done." she told him. "I wanted to surprise her with it. She gave me her word that she wouldn't come here until I was done. Does she suspect?"

Edvin made a thoughtful grunt. "Mm, no. Don't think so, love." Then, he set the net down and looked at her, eyes blinking once. "Oh! Might you be willing to look at Brom?"

"Brom? Who's Brom?"

"One of my old fishing buddies. Sweet as candy, but as sharp as a ball." Edvin explained. "Poor thing went and got a hook jammed in his gums. You being a doctor and all... Could you help him out?"

"Of course. Where is he?" Aleida looked around.

"Behind you."

Aleida turned and gave a start, facing an enormous creature with the head of a shark, eyes lying along the sides of his great head along with human-like ears. Like Edvin, he was covered in slimy scales and wore remains of clothes along his shoulders and waist. His mouth was filled with several rows of razor teeth and along the lower corner of his jaw, a hook was buried, pooling blood in his mouth.

"Oh! Um..." Aleida looked nervous now. "You must be Brom, yes?"

Brom gurgled, teeth clenching. Edvin chastised him. "Brom, play nice. She's going to help you."

Brom's jaws parted and Aleida studied the hook for a moment before she murmured thoughtfully, reaching into her coat for a bag of tools. Brom occasionally hissed, making her jump a little; fortunately, Edvin was there to soothe the big fish creature with a few pats to his side.

"Alright, you big idiot, she isn't going to hurt you." he scolded.

Aleida gave a small, amused laugh. "He's worried I'll hurt him?"

Edvin let out a bark of laughter now. "Oh, don't look so surprised, love. He's even scared of cats!"

Aleida shook her head, removed a small set of tweezers from her bag, still chuckling. She reached gently into his mouth and took hold of the hook with the tool. Brom let out a small, high whine of pain and Aleida patted his cheek once to reassure him.

"It's all right, Brom. I'll have it out of you soon." she told the giant being.

She grunted, pulled and gave it a twist before it came loose from his gum in a spray of blood. Brom gave a loud shriek of pain, thrashing his head back and Aleida soothed him with a few strokes to his face, which eventually relaxed the enormous being.

Aleida deposited the hook into a barrel and Brom opened his mouth so that she could study the wound. Murmuring thoughtfully, she then reached into her bag for a cloth. Brom was silently waiting, occasionally shifting on his feet impatiently.

Edvin shook his head. "Brom gets more things stuck in there than any creature I've ever seen." he quipped.

"Well..." Aleida said, leaning back a bit. "He should be fine. I'd like to stitch it for him. Will he be alright with that?"

Edvin glanced up at Brom and the great creature gurgled in response.

"I've never seen Brom sit still for a doctor," Edvin remarked, amused. 'Always afraid of them, he was. Even before we changed, he was always running from them. He knows you don't mean him harm."

Aleida smiled thinly. She didn't want to imagine why he was afraid of them.

So she worked to clean and stitch up the wound in his mouth without any further conversation. When finished, Aleida pulled away, gave his jaw a little pat before smiling up at him.

"Well? Better?" she asked.

Brom straightened, rubbed his jaw with one great hand before uttering a small grunt of approval. With that, he turned and made his way back toward the village. Aleida called after him.

"Don't eat any more hooks!"

Edvin let out a guffaw.

"Alright then..." Aleida turned her attention to the cottage. "I have a few more things to finish up inside."

Edvin made his way to his net of fish. "I'll have myself a little meal before I return to the village."

"Oh! Would you like me to skin and - "

Aleida cut herself off when Edvin seized a fish and sank his teeth right into its belly. Bits of scales, slime and fish meat dripped down his jaws. He sensed her stare and shrugged his shoulders.

"What?" he asked.

O

Aleida led Maria to the beach, holding her hand the entire time. Her eyes were closed upon Aleida's request.

"May I look now?" Maria asked.

"Not yet. We're almost there."

Aleida led her to the cottage and when she stopped, she sounded excited. "Alright. Look!"

Maria opened her eyes and they widened slightly at the sight of the completed cottage. She looked around, studying every detail of it before looking at Aleida.

"This is what you've been working on all this time?" she questioned.

"Yes," Aleida told her, grinning happily, "A few hours a day, actually. But wait! Come inside! You have to see what's inside!"

Maria followed her into the little cottage and was surprised to find a little fireplace, a few shelves of books and lanterns made from the oils in the hamlet. There was a bed of furs and sheets as well.

"You made this on your own?" Maria asked.

"Well, Edvin helped me a little," Aleida explained, gesturing to the lanterns on the shelves. "He worked on the oils and the mud bricks for the fireplace. It's been a long time since I worked on a farm, but when I picked up those tools. All of it came back to me. It's been quite relaxing, actually."

Maria ran her fingertips over a coral necklace and Aleida misinterpreted her silence. She sighed, disappointed.

"You don't like it." she said, her voice a little lower with mild hurt.

"No. No, that isn't it." Maria assured her, shaking her head. There was a strange wonder in her eyes as she looked over the little cottage. "I did not think I would stand here in a place Sonja would have wanted. You've made that possible. I have no words."

Aleida chuckled somewhat. "Ah..." she began.

Maria turned to her and took her hands into hers. Those fingers delicately caressed Aleida's in slow, sensual movements. Something about the way Maria looked at her brought forth a shiver through the younger woman. She knew that look; the dark stirring of arousal flickered behind Maria's gaze.

"I think, perhaps, I shall enjoy spending my evening here in this cottage," Maria told her, voice dropping only a fraction lower. "If that is agreeable to you?"

Aleida smiled, running her nose against Maria's cheek, taking in the lovely scent of her. Oh, she had just showered recently. The sweet smells had come from a bottle Aleida had found on the second floor of the Research Hall. She felt quite sorry to have missed THAT.

"Will you disrobe or will I have to help?" Maria crooned, against the soft shell of an ear.

Aleida giggled, unable to help herself. Her fingers slipped into Maria's coat to urge it from her body. Their lips met and Maria slipped the coat from Aleida's shoulders as well, guiding her back down onto the bed. Pinning Aleida to the bed with her thighs closed around her waist, Maria leaned back to admire her for a moment, hand working to unbutton the white shirt she wore.

Once she was able to slip a hand inside, she cupped one of Aleida's breasts and kissed the long slope of her neck, sucking the skin hard enough to leave a generous mark. Aleida gave a soft, pleased sound, running her fingers through Maria's hair and loosening the ribbon that held it in place, cascading her lovely blonde locks down over her face and shoulders.

The older woman smirked down at her, reaching down to unbuckle her belt. Aleida sat up now, stopping her hands so that she could work in undressing her too. Slipping her hands in Maria's shirt, she cupped her breast and teased her nipple to hardness.

Maria hissed softly, leaning her head back to give Aleida more room. Her own fingers slid into the hem of Aleida's trousers, trying to urge them off, but the position wasn't quite right for it.

"Off. Now." Maria hissed, against her ear.

Aleida felt a stab of heat between her thighs at the husky command. She leaned back a little, working herself free of her trousers with Maria's help. They were cast aside and Maria immediately worked to get herself properly naked before settling herself on top of Aleida.

Aleida groaned, swallowing hard when she felt hands spread her thighs. Maria made a small noise of approval, admiring how excited Aleida already was to receive her.

"Already?" she remarked.

Aleida gave a strangled laugh in response, gasping when she felt those fingertips gently stroke her inner thigh, avoiding the place she was desperately needed.

"I can't help it," she breathed, "I was eager for it all evening."

Maria chuckled, the noise amiable this time. Well, she certainly couldn't resist a smile of pride at, the muscles of her inner thigh twitching at her touch.

"I do not intend to leave you wanting," she told her. "I intend to leave you weak for me alone."

"Really?" Aleida said, raising herself up onto her elbows. Her cheeks were flushed. "What do you intend to do about that?"

"A good start would be my tongue. We shall see what sort of delightful noises I can wring forth from your lips."

Aleida shuddered, a promising stab of want filling her belly. "Gods..." she gasped at the thought.

Maria slipped her hands beneath her knees, leaning her back a little and placing a soft kiss over her glistening cunt. She didn't wait to begin. Aleida hissed sharply at the contact, fingers clutching the furs of the bed.

Maria's mouth parted over her, tongue darting out to tease through the sensitive lips. Aleida squirmed with several whimpers. Her tongue dipped into her, licked a path upwards and flicked against the little nub. After a few delicate strokes of her tongue that had Aleida's thighs jumping, Maria drew it into her mouth and sucked.

Aleida cried out, heat flooding down her spine as she arched toward her mouth. "Maria! Oh!"

Maria certainly took her time pleasuring her. Aleida's thighs were shaking from her ministrations and she clenched her jaw, closing her eyes. Maria continued to hold her in that position, using her mouth to draw out tight, aching sounds from Aleida's lips.

After a few moments, Maria lifted her head from between Aleida's legs, drawing an irritated sound of disappointment from the woman below her.

Smiling, Maria wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and slipped one arm beneath her leg. Looming over her, she brought her face close to Aleida's and shared a kiss with her. The act bent the younger woman a bit, but she certainly didn't complain when she felt two fingers rub her between her legs.

Aleida uttered a groan against Maria's lips, shuddering at the delicious, wicked pressure of her fingers. Maria paused, licked two fingers and resumed her teasing, spreading her arousal around.

"M-Maria, please...!" Aleida begged, against her lips.

Maria met her eyes; the look of lust there for her nearly brought Aleida over the edge. She let out a happy moan when she felt two fingers slowly fill her.

She was more than ready for it and Maria wasted no time establishing a firm rhythm, putting deliciously wicked pressure against that particular spot deep inside of her. It drew a deep, rosy flush all across Aleida's skin and several hoarse sounds from her lips.

Aleida wrapped her legs around the other woman, clutched her shoulders and met her lips in a desperate kiss as she took everything she was given. Her features twisted, helpless noises bursting from her. That deep, pooling warmth where Maria found her was addicting and she wanted to remain that way for much longer. But the way Maria's breath rasped, the look she gave her, there was no hope in that.

"Mmm, yes." Maria crooned, teeth scraping against her neck when she heard those telling sounds. "Will you finish?"

Aleida bit her lip and nodded, fingers pressing hard into the skin of Maria's shoulders. She grew wetter, hips stuttering in time with every thrust of Maria's hand.

When she finally reached that moment, Aleida tossed her head with a shout, holding onto her tightly as she rode out the waves of her pleasure that peaked and rolled sweet sensation through her nerves. Maria took a moment or two to thrust her fingers slowly into her to let her ride out the rest of the passing sensations before stilling her hand entirely.

Aleida took a moment to relax before Maria kissed her lips, smiling down at her. She inched her fingers from the younger woman and rubbed her gently for a moment before giving the wet folds of her cunt a few pats.

"Better, are we?" Maria questioned.

Aleida grinned breathlessly. "Very much so."

She glanced down pointedly between their bodies and ran a few fingertips up and down Maria's abdomen before getting lost between her thighs. She was welcomed with a copious amount of scorching arousal and a soft grunt of pleasure from Maria.

"Yes..." Maria whispered, voice dropping several pitches.

Aleida teased her fingers through her folds, sliding them back and forth before Maria eventually pulled her hand away. She spread the younger woman's legs and adjusted herself so that it brought their crotches together.

In response, Aleida helped her by cupping her backside and holding her right where she wanted her. It took a few awkward movements from both of them before Maria began to rock her hips, clutching her legs to hold her open for every movement. Aleida groaned her approval when she felt wonderful pressure against her still sensitive clit, closing her eyes.

"No, look at me," Maria rasped.

Aleida's eyes opened, met Maria's gaze and there was just something about that dark, wanting look that made her clench anew. She let out a low, needy sound; rocking her hips up in response to Maria's movements. She had grown bolder, far more confident and Maria quite appreciated it. She smiled breathlessly down at the woman, continuing to grind herself down against her.

What a precious little thing she was.

Maria's fingers clutched Aleida's thighs, holding her right where she wanted her; she was close and her throat tightened. Aleida's hands were not idle either as she touched every part of Maria she could; fingers caressing her chest, the muscles of her belly which clenched with every thrust of her hips.

When she was close, she stiffened with a louder, indulgent moan, pinning Aleida's wrists to the bed and draping herself over her. Her thrusts now were faster, her jaw clenching before her movements became erratic and she finally fell over with a rapturous grunt. Aleida pulled her down against her with a crooning sound of pleasure. It took a few moments of catching her breath and Aleida caressing her back with soft, gentle fingers. Maria gave a few quiet grunts of satisfaction.

"Mmm…" she sighed.

"Mmm." Aleida mimicked affectionately.

"You certainly enjoy that, don't you?" Maria murmured, releasing her wrists with a rumble too amiable to be annoyed.

Aleida smiled up at her when she lifted her head to meet her eyes. "I do. You make such lovely music, my dearest Lady." Aleida teased, kissing her cheek.

Maria raised an eyebrow. She leaned against her when Aleida teased her fingers through her hair and sighed through her nose.

"I will surely be staying here for the remainder of the evening, I see." Maria mumbled, against her throat.

Aleida grinned. "It pleases me to hear it."

O

Maria sat still naked while Aleida ran a brush through her hair. She seemed interested in putting it in a long braid, to which Maria didn't mind. Aleida seemed interested in discussing the daily routine she had established with doctoring the people of the Hamlet while helping those at the Research Hall.

"If I am to age before you, I should - "

"You will not die of age here," Maria interrupted her.

Aleida blinked, surprised. She stopped braiding a lock of hair and tilted her head at Maria curiously now. "I won't age?" she asked.

"No." Maria replied, turning her head a little to look at her properly. "The Nightmare is a place of punishment, determined to torment those worthy of it. Death by aging? Such an easy way it would be."

"I see." Aleida thought about that. "Well, it grants me all the time in the world to learn more and hone my craft then, doesn't it?"

Maria chuckled softly. "I suppose it does."

Aleida leaned her chin into Maria's shoulder, embracing her and teasing her chest with her fingertips. Maria looked down at her with a thin smile.

"I simply hope this is what you truly desire, Aleida." she replied. "An eternity here. By my side."

"It is." Aleida assured her, reaching down to link their fingers together now.

"And what of your headaches? Do they still linger?"

"No. Not as they once did. When the Mother Kos vanished, so did her voices. I don't hear them like I used to."

Maria looked thoughtful for a moment. In truth, she did consider Aleida's mind lost to the arcane, but it didn't appear to be a concern now.

"I am glad of it." Maria answered, after a moment. "Now, let us rest."

"Will you promise to sleep this time?"

"Yes. You have my word."

Maria often didn't sleep for long periods of time. It often resorted in Aleida having to encourage or goad her into proper rest as she didn't believe the older woman slept as much as she should. Maria insisted that it wasn't a concern, but Aleida didn't like the idea of it anyway.

The two women laid in bed; Aleida had been pressed up against Maria, face buried in her chest. She had one leg draped over her and Maria had her arm wrapped around the other woman.

True to her word, Maria slept.

O

Things resumed as they did in the Nightmare.

Though this time, Maria heard the sounds of delighted laughter, as opposed to the noises of woe.

Aleida brought Adeline from her room to smell the flowers of the Garden. It was the first time that Adeline had the chance to truly enjoy the feel of the sun, the smell of the Lumenflowers.

Adeline ran her fingers over them, sighing longingly. "It's been too long since I've felt the sun and smelled the flowers."

"Well..." Aleida smiled at her. "I am glad to have you out here. You've been trapped to that chair for so long."

"And I am glad to have you here. With us." Adeline answered. She plucked a flower from its place and set it in Aleida's hair. "You've helped not only yourself, but Lady Maria. I am proud of this and proud to know you as a friend."

Aleida beamed at her words. She looked up toward the clouds, then to the moon that no longer appeared sunken and gray. The Nightmare was still the Nightmare, but it had changed now that Kos and Her Child had found rest. Now it had become something new.

Later that day, Maria was sitting in her chair in the Clocktower, staring down at the little sketch of herself that Aleida had made. She ran her fingers gently over the surface of it, remembering that first moment she had noticed things change between herself and Aleida.

Then, she heard the rushing of footsteps and looked up, noticing a patient run by the open doors. It took a few seconds before Aleida ran by. Oh, they seemed to be playing. How quaint.

Aleida grabbed the patient and the happy squealing sounds from the ward filled the air. Aleida grinned and embraced her before she looked through the doors at Maria. A warm smile touched her face and she waved at her before resuming her chase.

Maria chuckled softly.

Of course. Aleida liked to stimulate exercise with the patients as it encouraged them to move more often. It also deterred them from focusing on the pain in their heads - or so Aleida believed. In this case, it seemed to work. The younger woman adored them in her way.

Maria sighed, leaned back in her chair and listened to the chatter just outside of the Clocktower.

She no longer heard the voice of her mother.


End file.
